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Behind the scenes feat. Marina Kudryashova Since I haven't found the right formula yet on YouTube, I've decided to not overthink it and do whatever feels right for me. So let's make it simple, I will post short behind-the-scenes videos of some of my photoshoots from time to time. I will then make a separate video where I break down a specific technique and tell you how I came up with it or where I learned it and where, why, and how I apply it in my own work. I will add in the mix short videos showing you how I edit my pictures, and a few videos with me just rambling on random photography topics... just kidding... for the last part I'll try to make them short too. We will try this in no particular order from now on for this entire year. We'll see then if it works for me and if you guys tag along. This video is part of the sessions I had at the end of last year, testing the Canon EOS R. A dance photo shoot at the Château Pape Clément! It took me some time to release it because I had a busy schedule lately (sorry I have to pay rent!). Better late than never, so here is one of my favorite session of the past year, where the Canon EOSR's flip-out screen was really a plus! The EOS R my thoughts on Canon’s Mirrorless camera! Mixing Architecture and dance photography is part of my numerous guilty pleasures. In this wide space, I had to find a way to showcase both the dancer and the location. We started with the most complex shots because I thought we would only have time to make these 2: Marina Kudryashova, Marché de Lerme - Bordeaux (France) Canon EOSR - EF 16-35mm f2.8L II 1/200s ISO160 f4 at 16mm By the way, I asked you guys on Instagram, which of the 2 pictures you preferred... and the answer remains unclear: I usually try to make the entire photo in one shot, but here I decided to shoot each element separately! I am still learning the process, and I am getting closer to the type of results I wish to have each time. Marina Kudryashova, Marché de Lerme - Bordeaux (France) Canon EOSR - RF 24-105mm f4L 1/200s ISO160 f4 at 24mm The type of image I never share on Instagram or Facebook... simply because the subject is too small. These images are the first ones I consider for my exhibitions because they look better on large prints! The opening – My first exhibition / Vlog #7 Marina Kudryashova, Marché de Lerme - Bordeaux (France) Canon EOSR - EF 24-105mm f4L 1/200s ISO160 f4,5 at 24mm Lighter fabrics are always easier to manipulate, especially indoors. The fabric flies and flows beautifully, and you can concentrate more on the pose. The effect is different so it's a matter of taste. I still use both! Marina Kudryashova, Marché de Lerme - Bordeaux (France) Canon EOSR - EF 24-105mm f4L 1/200s ISO160 f4,5 at 50mm The last shots were bonus images we decided to quickly make at the end of the session. I liked that sports/ fitness outfit. I never considered doing a sports and ballet type of session and these images convinced me to at least program a future session on that theme. So what do you guys think? I will dive deeper into the making of the first 2 shots and the techniques I used. Feel free to ask me any questions about this particular session! Huge thanks to my team, Mrs. Marlène, and Sir Damien Rembert who now master the fabric tossing game. Shoutouts to the city of Bordeaux, for allowing me to create once again in a beautiful location.

My first video on the topic was released 8 months ago, where I shared a few tips and ideas on how to make epic fantasy images with flying fabrics... This is finally part II, 8 months later! Check out part I: Make epic dance photos with flying fabrics! I've waited sometime before releasing this one for a good reason. I needed a bit more time, to test fail, and succeed. For the success part, I am not there yet but I am getting close. From small flowing dresses to huge flying fabrics, what I love about creating these is the dynamic and sense of movement it adds to the overall image. Inspiring places, la cité du vin (Bordeaux) A dance photo shoot at the Château Pape Clément! Dance photoshoot behind the scenes – Marché de Lerme (Bordeaux) So what did I learn in 8 months? The first thing you have to consider is the random results you will often get. You will try your best to control the fabric, but of course the bigger they are the more unpredictable they will be. Add to this the fact that I am working with dancers... and you are on your way to a memorable headache! Finding the right pose is something achievable for the dancer because sometimes the dress or fabric gets in the way, finding the perfect timing, capturing the moment where the fabric has the desired form and all of this perfectly placed in your frame could be fun and nerve-wracking at the same time. And let's not talk about lighting, especially if you are working with strobes. To make it all work, you simply have to break it down... This is how I do it: First, you decide where and lock your framing (I frequently use a tripod, I will tell you why later). 2nd, you explain to your model/ dancer what you wish to do with the dress and fabric... the general form it will have, the amount of space it will take in your frame, and so on... I then suggest the type of pose or movement, the direction where she or he has to look, and where the body has to go. Now you should have at least 2 poses or movements to work with... you can start rehearsing with the dress in movement or fabric. If you are working with a few assistants, rehearsing is necessary to find the perfect timing. Check your lighting, and make it right. Shoot! And yes, you will make multiple attempts, because, with all these elements, chances are, you won't get it the first time. I work on a tripod for good reasons. In tight spaces, for example, my lights, my assistants can get in the way. So once I have the shot, I can then remove them, take a clean shot with nobody in the frame and erase everything later in photoshop. People often ask me what type of Fabric I use. I cannot decide for you... The length and weight of the fabric won't give you the same "look". It's a matter of taste. If you want crease-free fabrics, use polyester and nylon-based fabrics... Cotton-based fabrics can be lighter but you will have a lot of work in post if you wish a clean, wrinkle-free fabric in your shot. I don't bother them, I hated when it is too clean, too perfect. Again this is up to you. I prefer using lighter fabrics indoors because they fly more and are easy to manipulate. Cotton-based: Synthetic: When I first used fabrics in my photography, I insisted on capturing most of my shots in one take. I wanted all in-camera, with no heavy manipulation in post. I kind of changed my mind recently... sort of... It's really not hard to do, you first capture the pose or movement, and then independently shoot the fabric and merge everything in post. The advantage of this method is that it gives you a bit more flexibility and options to bring your vision to life. There is no right way to do it, I enjoy both methods! Unless you have an unlimited budget and a huge crew helping out, the second one gives you the ability to make epic shots that might be impossible to make in one take. The fun in all of this is finding solutions to a creative problem and you learn so much during the process! I am not yet totally satisfied with the results I get with these images, so I guess there will be a part III in a few months, maybe at the end of this year. So, are you planning on using flying fabrics, flowing dresses in your work? What method do you use? Tell me in the comments below!

I've been asked for a video like this for a while and finally decided to make it. What I feared at the time became a reality. Showing my workflow and my editing process would end up in a lengthy video of me talking and trying to explain multiple things at once. It is not easy to concentrate on one specific thing when talking about photoshop. That's why from the very beginning I chose to avoid the "retouching" part of the process and make a video only about "color grading". And I almost succeeded! So beware, before you dive into this, you've got to make sure you have at least some basic knowledge about photoshop, how it works and what it can potentially do. Here is the image we will be working on in this tutorial, A lovely shot of Evie Ball captured inside the bathtub of the St Exupery Suite inside the Grand Balcon Hôtel in Toulouse: This image was captured with a 5D Mark III and the 24-70mm F2.8L II Lens. 1/200 f5.6 ISO100 at 35mm Broncolor Siros L 800ws camera right (Beautybox 65 with grid) Before & After: Down below are a few links to consider before watching this video. Gradient maps by Phlearn: Masks: Master curves by piximperfect: Blend modes: Now that you are warned, ready and prepared, you can easily watch the video and follow along and learn one of the many techniques I use to color grade my images, boost my images and enhance details!

Behind the scenes feat. Florencia Chinellato & Clara René First and foremost, sorry for not showing up in your feed the past weeks, did you miss me? Back problems, herniated disk, MRI, medicine and so on, if you follow me on Instagram you know what I am talking about. I haven't touched a camera for a month and a half now and that's a problem. Things are getting better, that's why I am posting again, hopefully, I will start working again in a week or so. Winter is almost over, although global warming makes winter hard to distinguish from spring here in Toulouse. It's abnormally warm these days, and I think I am going to work outdoors sooner than planned. Basically, in this video, I wanted to talk about that time of the year when it's hard to book any shoots outdoors and when you are forced to shoot indoors. You don't have a studio, you gotta stay creative, and you can't always find monuments, castles, mansions, museums, or any crazy places to shoot in... You know most of the time it's all about what you do with the location you are working in. By killing the ambient light, but choosing to reveal, show or not show parts of the place you are in, you can make any place look much more interesting than it really is. I love working in empty wide spaces, so finding myself working inside an hôtel room was a bit of a challenge for me. If you are doing a lifestyle portrait session... working in a hôtel lobby, bar, or in a suite or room it could be a great idea. When you are working with performers it is a bit different! We were lucky enough to have access to parts of the Hôtel of the grand opera in Toulouse... You have to love the color red, it used to be my favorite color but I am not sure anymore. We had awful weather out during these 2 shoots so not a lot of light was coming from the windows so bringing my flash wasn't an option. Due to the lack of space, the challenge was to find interesting ways to place my one and only light. So we aimed a dark contrasted look, with a lot of shadows sometimes. Something different from my usual work, but I learned a lot during these sessions. Florencia Chinellato (Hôtel du Grand Opera - Toulouse) Florencia Chinellato (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/160s f4.5 ISO640 at 24mm Clara René (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/100s f2.8 ISO250 at 33mm Clara René (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/100s f2.8 ISO250 at 33mm Clara René (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/50s f2.8 ISO250 at 41mm Clara René (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/50s f2.8 ISO250 at 24mm Thanks to Florencia and Clara, you girls did a fantastic job. Huge thanks to the grand opera hôtel for welcoming us. Tell us in the comments what is the most unusual place you have worked in? See you guys in the next! Clara René (Grand hôtel de l'Opera - Toulouse) Canon 5D Mark III - and EF 24-70mm f2.8L II 1/40s f3.5 ISO250 at 50mm

I am 72 hours late, but better late than never! I missed our Sunday Rendez-vous because of this I've been working all weekend and was too tired to complete my video on the subject. You probably have guessed it by the look of the thumbnail I will share with you a few tips on how to shoot live performances! I am an ex-concert photographer, I used to photograph a lot of live performances, dance, circus and so on... The reality of this business and personal projects here pushed me to stop this kind of work, but I am still hired from time to time to do these. If the event is cool and decently paid I am in. A few weeks back now, I was at this cool event. The Who got the flower international hip hop festival . A family-friendly festival, with good vibes, high-level performers, and just pure positive energy. All the videos of the Festival! When I first started a few years back, I faced a dilemma, should I avoid noise and sacrifice speed or prioritize speed and accept high iso images with noise. When shooting live musicians, for me it's a no brainer, no need for high shutter speeds, with lenses opening as wide as f2.8 you can work around 1/100th and higher handheld (depending on the weight of your lens and if it's stabilized) without going too high with your iso. At least I never had to go higher than Iso 800... but yeah sometimes you can be out of luck and have a poorly lit stage. If your lens is not stabilized, usually my rule is my lens equals the minimum shutter speed I can use handheld. For example, if you are using an 85mm lens, I will avoid going under 1/80s with my shutter speed. With a 70-200mm and because it's a bit heavy, I will start at 1/200s and go higher if possible. You can go slower if you wish to incorporate motion blur, I prefer to freeze movement, so I never aim for these types of images and usually try my best to work with a high shutter speed...but that's up to your personal preferences. When shooting action, fast movements... sports, circus, or dance, freezing movement is a bit of a challenge. You will have to embrace and accept the noise that will show up in your photos. I usually use continuous autofocus and follow my subjects. I use 2 to 3 program settings, one for static shots or slow movements, Another one for static group shots, and of course one for fast action. 1DX Mark II 1/200 f5.6 ISO 2500 - 70mm 1DX Mark II 1/200 f5 ISO 2000 - 16mm 1DX Mark II 1/800 f2.8 ISO 2500 - 34mm With a camera like the 5d mark 3 and 4, you can memorize these settings and access them quickly with the turn of a button but for this festival, I had the 1dx Mark II with me. This camera is a joy to use, and the perfect tool for this kind of job, even today in 2019! The only downside is the weight. I usually use 2 bodies with 2 different lenses. Like the 24 - 70 combined with 70 - 200mm, but this time I decided to use the 1dx Mark II only. I was really close to the action so I basically used the 24 - 70mm almost on 90% of the shots, some with the 16 - 35mm and a few with the 14mm. If you are using entry-level cameras, I suggest you invest in fast prime lenses in order to avoid going too high with your ISO. Prioritize expressions and emotions instead of trying to catch impressive spectacular shots at all costs. Don't forget that your pictures depend heavily on the quality of light you will have at your disposal... and sometimes you can have really awful surprises. When this happens, do your best, be creative with your shots, if you can have a chat with the venue, the person in charge of the lights, do so. I hope these tips will help you with your next gig. I will see y'all in the next but until then, please, have a good one! Huge thanks to the entire staff of this amazing event for welcoming me again this year for the 4th year in a row. Down below are a few highlights of the 3vs3 break competition... You will find more images on their Facebook page: WGTF!? 2019 And maybe the best night of the weekend, the Collab' battle... 8 dancers, 8 musicians playing live, total freestyle :

My parents are concerned because they don't understand how can I not have a camera at home as a photographer... It's been 4 months now, renting my gear, borrowing it, or on loan (if you will) and it's been great... really? It all started 3 years ago when I was traveling a bit more than today. Carrying gear with me was always a problem... on planes especially I don't want to bring much with me, because of security controls at airports and all the pre-boarding process can take a lot of time when you carry your photography gear with you. They usually open all my bags and ask me tons of questions, never had any major problems so far but the process is slow and sometimes you just don't want to go through that. Of course no checked bags, everything comes on board with me, you guys know how they handle your stuff. So back then the solution was simple for me... I don't have to bring my camera, just maybe a lens or 2 a few extra batteries all the necessary accessories and I would just rent the rest. Lately, I sold all my gear, except for 2 canon lenses. And now this is how I work... with rentals! The other advantage is the luxury of having the right tool for the job! If you need a fast camera, with high burst rates, no problem, If you need a high-resolution camera, you can have it! There is no perfect camera out there and you all know how difficult it is to choose a camera that can do it all. Now you can have fun, test a new system, have the latest gear, and this (almost) whenever you want. You can even work with your dream camera, rent that expensive medium format you cannot afford to own for a day or two. I have been using Canon cameras for 7 years now, so I am familiar with their system. That is why I usually rent canon gear. I had the chance to have a few cameras and lenses on loan from Canon France the past 3 years for a few specific photoshoots, and recently I've worked with cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark IV, the 1dx Mark II, and the infamous EOSR. The 1dx Mark II in 2019 is still a phenomenal camera, and I barely use all its capabilities. You've seen me in a previous video covering a Hip Hop dance festival. All these fast movements and unpredictable dancers are not easy to catch, and the 1dx II was perfect for the job. How I shoot live performances: WGTF!? 2019 hip hop festival I used it on a couple of other photoshoots too, portraits, fitness, and dance private sessions. This wouldn't be my go-to camera for this kind of job but still is a solid performer: Canon 1DX Mark II 24-70mm F2.8 Mark II 1/500 f3.2 ISO 640 at 24mm Canon 1DX Mark II 24-70mm F2.8 Mark II 1/500 f3.2 ISO 200 at 61mm Canon 1DX Mark II 24-70mm F2.8 Mark II 1/640 f3.2 ISO 320 at 24mm Canon 1DX Mark II 70-200mm F2.8 Mark II 1/800 f2.8 ISO 640 at 59mm Canon 1DX Mark II 70-200mm F2.8 Mark II 1/160 f2.8 ISO 160 at 80mm Canon 1DX Mark II 70-200mm F2.8 Mark II 1/160 f2.8 ISO 100 at 140mm Canon 1DX Mark II 70-200mm F2.8 Mark II 1/160 f2.8 ISO 100 at 110mm Canon 1DX Mark II 70-200mm F2.8 Mark II 1/200 f2.8 ISO 100 at 90mm The Canon EOS R has many flaws, but it can still do the job and performs very well for my dance photoshoots. And compared to the 1dxII it's a light and portable camera! The EOS R my thoughts on Canon's Mirrorless camera! One last thing that changed my way of thinking and handling my business, thanks to this renting gear period of mine is the price. Between 70 euros to 120 for a camera body, 30 to 80 euros for a lens per day. Depending on what, where, and when, prices, of course, will change. If you can rent during the weekends, you can save a day of renting and if you often rent a lot in the same store you can find an arrangement and have an additional day free of charge once in a while. But that's not the subject! I have received a few messages of people asking me how to charge their clients and some of you even asked me how they wanted to charge their services and stop working for free. If you are serious about photography, and if you are good... please stop doing it for free! Do the maths, how much does it cost you? All your gear (camera, accessories, computer), Insurance, education, your Adobe subscription, transportation, your taxes, and if you really want to do this for a living, if it's your main job, the cost of life itself (your home, food, health and so on...). How much does all this cost you in a year, month, week, every day? How long does it take you to make your images (in general) How many photoshoots can you handle from start to finish in a day? Now reach out for your calculator and see how much can you charge on a session to make all these things work and not be a starving photographer. If you do this you will quickly realize that there is a limit on how low you can charge for your work. And every time you rent your gear for a shoot, you think about this when you hand out your credit card! Of course, there are a few drawbacks... In my situation for example not having my own camera means I can't take any pictures for my own pleasure, whenever I want. No last-minute photoshoot! Things have to be planned, you can't just go to your store and rent your gear, because the camera you want may not be available. I usually secure my gear at least a week and a half before the shoot. In some cities, you are limited in your options. The most famous brands are still Canon and Nikon... Sony comes third and Panasonic sometimes can be found. And last but not least, although I love the fact that I don't have to bring all my gear on the plane with me, you have to include in your plannings enough time to get your gear and bring it back. I've been in situations where the store wasn't in the city and sometimes a bit far from my photoshoots which adds extra costs to get there and less time for you for other things. I want a little bit more freedom so this is the reason why I will probably invest in a new camera soon. I will still work with rentals all summer, I guess we will see in September how things evolve. How about you, have you ever considered renting your gear? What for?

Inside the Musée des Augustins (Toulouse - France) It has been a while since I've shared a bit of personal work! This photoshoot happened earlier this year, the photos were patiently waiting for me to be edited and shared. I learned so much during this session, tried a few things, explored that fabric thing I like a little more, and I have to admit, I am happy with the results. I had a little team with me! Marion and Mélanie were kind enough to join me and give me a hand with the fabric. I've been to this fantastic museum before, but I wanted to create something specific in that room since my first shoot. It was in 2017: 14 artists, 9 iconic locations in Toulouse Behind the scenes So what did I have in mind It is this picture? Canon 5D marl III + 24 - 70mm f2.8L II 1/125s F4 ISO 1000 - 35mm The idea was to blend and stitch together 3 stages of the falling fabric. I wasn't looking for a "perfect" symmetry, to make it more believable. And this one ended up being a happy accident, with all the multiple attempts at getting the shot: Canon 5D marl III + 24 - 70mm f2.8L II 1/125s F4 ISO 1000 - 35mm The 2nd one I had in mind was this shot: Canon 5D marl III + 24 - 70mm f2.8L II 1/400s ISO 1000 - 28mm I wanted a sense of motion, I pictured her moving away from the columns and decided to add the fabric to make it more dynamic. The other pictures were not planned, so I was happy to have enough time to make them too. Florencia Chinelatto is a fantastic dancer currently working at the Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse. I was fortunate enough to have her on this one, I really hope we will team up again on other future projects.

Of all the questions I get asked, a few of them keep on coming back almost every week. How do you find these locations? How do you get access to them and how much time do you have on location? How I find locations for my photoshoots in 5 basic steps How do I find them? Google, and word of mouth, I ask around, family, friends and of course, like any tourist, Google is your friend. Just type in the name of your city, and the most famous landmarks and attractions will pop up. From there, it's really easy you can find online the emails, addresses, and phone numbers you need for almost any location you wish to work in... It's really that simple! Now that you have all the information, just call and ask! Show them your work and explain to them what you wish to do and why and they will tell you if it's possible. Now when you have contacted a hundred of them, and only two of them answered your multiple calls and emails, the big question will be what will you be allowed to do there and for how long. Generally, you don't have a lot of time. Museums, monuments, they rarely open their doors outside business hours and I get at best two to three hours to install, shoot pack and leave. Sometimes it could be just one hour... Of course, if it's a commercial shoot, and if the client has the budget, you might as well have the entire place for yourself. When that happens you need to know beforehand exactly what you are going to do there, how you are going to do it, and exactly where. Before I used my cell phone and visited the place a few days before the shoot. Took tons of pictures, ad a reference for me the model, and the entire team. I explain as best as I can what I wish to do, the number of pictures, the tools we will be using, sometimes I already have my compositions and multiple lighting scenarios so that the day of the shoot, we just show up and shoot! You will lose less time on set, you will be more efficient, you will increase your chance for success especially if your time is limited. What's great with the Insta360 ONE X is that it simplifies the process. Using the selfie stick, I can just walk around the place and it films everything around me. When I find a specific spot I might use I just put the camera on the tripod to have a nice clean 360° view of the scene. I will then be able to analyze every detail later. I decided to get rid of my GoPro a few weeks ago and found that this little device could replace it. It's the ease of use that got me. Put it on a tripod, or on top of your camera, press the record button and that's it. The rest is done in post-production, you choose where the camera looks in post. No more videos where the camera wasn't placed properly and with the different effects you can really get creative and have fun with it! Unfortunately, as for now, that's all I can say about it... Because a few days ago while standing on its stick, the camera tipped over and fell hard on one of the lenses. The result is a camera that is now unusable in 360! I guess I know now how fragile it is, I am usually very careful with my gear... Sh*t happens! I might do a proper review if I can get this fixed or If I get myself another camera... Only time will tell. How about you, do you prepare your photo shoots? How?

at any given location Photographing dancers in any indoor location may seem simple, but I discovered that every situation is different. When you will think about it, a lot of the things I am about to share with you will sound obvious. But you quickly forget these simple things and when dealing with them the day of your shoot, you will certainly make mistakes and waste some precious time which will require more work in post, if you can fix it! When scouting for locations, when visiting the spaces you will use for your future shoot pay attention to theses basic simple things: Height of ceiling Size/ Surface of each room Possible accessories, furniture, and practical lights you can use Pay attention to the Windows and the amount of light coming in at different times of the day and the Types of lights inside (Beware of color temperature) And finally, all the colors surrounding you Remember my last video about preparing your shoots... this video is kind of linked to it! Do yourself a favor, prepare your photoshoot! Now you have all you need to prepare your shoot... You can choose alone or with your team, the colors of the outfits, the type of lights you will bring with you, the focal lengths you will be able to use, the amount of gear and so on... Depending on the project, on what you wish to tell, on what your client needs, you will have at your disposal all the information you need to make your decisions. Let me share with you a few examples... Hôtel rooms are tricky it's not something I fancy but sometimes, you just have to make the images you asked to do. And I usually take this as a challenge. Evie Ball Canon 5D Mark III 1/100sec f4 ISO100 at 24mm Florencia Chinellato Canon 5D Mark III 1/160sec f4.5 ISO640 at 24mm Clara René Canon 5D Mark III 1/50sec f2.8 ISO250 at 33mm Working in the lobby of the grand Opera hôtel was fun but required multiple takes and tests to get it right. Olivia Lindon Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f4.5 ISO640 at 24mm We had enough room to have a few options in terms of focal lengths, no windows, just artificial light all around... and of course, mirrors everywhere. Olivia Lindon Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f4.5 ISO640 at 26mm Olivia Lindon Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f3.5 ISO800 at 41mm How can you make your shots without having unwanted light bounce off the mirrors and without having me or anyone of my crew being visible in the shot? Simple: Trials and errors I've worked in this hôtel before, so I knew that working in the rooms was a challenge... Very little light in, and the room we chose had a strong red as a dominant color. Dance photoshoot behind the scenes; Hôtel du grand Opera And this window shot is one of my favorites... after a few tries, I preferred the result with no strobes! Olivia Lindon Canon 5D Mark III 1/80sec f2.8 ISO200 at 24mm I've worked inside many museums and battling with different light temperatures could be fun... just be creative! Cool those those interiors down of go all the way for a warm look. And when my scene is too busy I tend to slightly underexpose it so that we can focus on the main subject. Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f5.6 ISO640 at 16mm Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f5.6 ISO500 at 24mm Small spaces means wide-angle lenses if you wish to incorporate more of the background and surroundings in your image. Evie Ball Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f5 ISO160 at 16mm Use furniture to lean, sit, lay or stand on... use your window as a backlight or 2nd light... it's up to you and your imagination ! Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f6.3 ISO500 at 24mm Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/200sec f2.8 ISO640 at 38mm And if you need a plain backdrop, something less distracting, but you don't have a studio... Ask your friends if they have an empty attic... it kind of works ! Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/100sec f6.3 ISO100 at 50mm Isabelle Ménard Canon 5D Mark III 1/100sec f6.3 ISO100 at 45mm I hope these examples will inspire you... A few years ago my goal was to make any place look good for my shoots. I surely learned a lot from that.

as a Dance & Circus photographer I am going, to be honest... I never looked at Fuji cameras seriously. This is when I realize marketing is really powerful... Canon here and there, Nikon and now Sony is hitting really really hard with amazing new releases... and everywhere on YouTube, I see videos of people switching back and forth mainly between these 3 brands. I first heard about the Fuji XT2 in late 2016 and passed through the Fuji booth in early 2017 during the Salon de la photo in Paris. I quickly saw the Fuji GFX 50s, a few huge prints showing how many details this camera was able to render and that's it... I wasn't curious enough to actually go near and touch the camera. We are now in 2019 and a local store in Toulouse was proposing a workshop with the 50s and the 50r (the rangefinder version). And this time I was curious enough to go there and see what this was all about. So Medium-format... Hum what is that? For me, the "medium" format meant, a bigger sensor, amazing images, but a slow system, and limited autofocus options. A camera only a few can afford that was built for studio work. But in the mouth of the lucky ones who can afford to work with such systems, "Medium" format delivers images that that full-frame sensors just cannot match. The sensor of the gfx50 is smaller than the Phase one H6D... This might explain the almost attractive price of the camera. The sensor is still (roughly) 68% larger than full-frame so the question is: What does this camera offer that full-frame bodies cannot. Can we really feel and see the difference in terms of image quality... and is it worth the price? Do I need such a system... I think this last question is the most important one! The GFX50s sensor for some is old technology now. The camera started shipping in February 2017 almost 2 years and a half later, is this camera still relevant? When considering a new tool for my work, my only question is will this tool boost, will it stimulate my creativity, and help me make the images I want efficiently? So this is really personal, and when doing your own research you have to keep this in mind. We all work differently, we all have different goals, and different tastes you cannot choose a camera based on somebody else's experience. So I reached out to Fujifilm France and asked them if I could get my hands on the camera and use it in my work for some time. Renting it for a weekend is nice, but if I really want to know what it's capable of I need to have it for at least a week. To my surprise, they said yes! They sent it to me without asking me anything in return. My plan was simple, use the GFX50s as my main camera, not for 1 but for 2 weeks. Shipped with the camera and to my demand, 3 lenses: the Fujifilm GF 23mm F4 R WR, the GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR, and the almighty GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR. Cyd Sailor Théatre de la Pergola Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO1250 at 32mm I had to go up to ISO 1250 on this private session, you can see in the BTS video how poor the light was inside the theater. I really like the result, the noise is there but you have to zoom in to see it. I would even add that the noise almost feels "organic" it is almost like film, it doesn't feel digital and is not distracting... Hélène Bernadou Château Pape Clément Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm Hélène Bernadou Château Pape Clément Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm The GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR is maybe my favorite lens of the 3 in the full-frame world it's almost like an 85mm lens. Awesome for portraits but not only, it delivers unique images and a distinctive look wide open. Hélène Bernadou Château Pape Clément Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 23mm F4 R WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO800 at 23mm Laura Viaud Académie des sciences et belles lettres de Bordeaux Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 23mm F4 R WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO100 at 23mm I love Wide-angle lenses, and I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that they didn't have a lens wider than 23mm ( roughly 18mm in Full-frame world). It's a great lens, I managed to make it mine and use it in my work, but I really hope Fuji will release something wider... Fingers crossed! Laura Viaud Académie des sciences et belles lettres de Bordeaux Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO160 at 32mm So what did I like and what did I hate? 1. Ease of use 2. Physical dials and general ergonomy 3. the quality of the overall build 4. Hyper Sync 5. And of course the images... What I hate (the word is too strong) what I did not like: 1. Poor performance in continuous AF 2. Inaccurate Eye AF beyond close-ups 3. 3fps (this camera is definitely not a sports camera) 4. Flash sync limit at 1/125s I won't talk about the video mode, because it's not great on this camera and I don't think the GFX50 was made for filmmakers. So what about these 14bits raw files? For all of you out there that love to underexpose to keep the details in the highlights to get the most out of a really contrasted scene, this camera gives you a lot to work on in the post The dynamic range and the robustness of the RAW files are impressive. I love the colors straight out of the camera but that's a personal thing. And I love the way it renders skin. The look is different and feels different, but for this, you really have to experience it yourself. Loïs Bret Bordeaux Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/125sec f4 ISO100 at 36.2mm And for those who wondered if I ever tested it without my flashes: Margaux Toulouse Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/400sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm Virginie Baïet Toulouse Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/1000sec f4.5 ISO100 at 110mm Fanny George Presqu'ïle Malraux Fujifilm GFX50s + GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR 1/400sec f2 ISO100 at 110mm In terms of megapixels, Sony just announced the A7RIV that packs a full-frame 61mp sensor, 10fps, improved eye autofocus, and 15 stops of dynamic range. Full-frame cameras started this pixel war long ago, canon has the 50mp 5DSR, and rumors say that a high megapixel camera is on the way, apparently planned for 2020. Nikon is preparing something too, a Z8 with basically the same sensor as the A7RIV is maybe on the way. So let's forget about the megapixels, even though coming from a Canon 5D Mark IV the details are very welcome! Especially If you are doing commercial work, editorials, or if you are working with annoying clients. You know who they are, the ones that crop the hell out of your photos. With this amount of megapixels, you can crop up to 50% and still keep enough details for a printable photo. The format is different too, the sensor is 68% larger than standard full-frame sensors, but the GFX50s also uses a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the 3:2 used on full-frame. I loved having this camera during the past 2 weeks... I even changed my way of working, this system taught me to slow down, to look more at the details, and think before pressing that shutter. I end up shooting less but having more keepers. My only concern was for all my action shots, this camera, for sure is not an action camera. If your subject is moving too fast you will struggle to get a nice clean focused shot with this system. For all the rest, this camera is a beast, even 2 years and a half after its release. Most of the things I miss on the GFX50 were incorporated in the big brother, the almighty GFX100... I hope to get my hands on this one soon! IBIS Better Eye AF phase detect and contrast AF Better EVF and of course, I will not mention the 102mp The Fujifilm GFX100 even offers internal UHD and DCI 4K30p video recording at up 4:2:0 10-bit, as well as 4K30p 4:2:2 10-bit via HDMI output, both at up to 400 Mb/s. But of course, this comes with a price, at over 10k, it is not a camera for everyone. So my conclusion will be very simple and straightforward: Dear Fuji, when is the GFX 50s mark II coming out?

One light, One modifier, that's all I need, or is it? I've been reading all of your comments lately on my Youtube Channel and I discovered you guys never click on the blog links, or go see my past videos. A lot of the questions you ask me have already been answered... but I understand, past 6 months for me the video is not worth watching. So here is the thing, I discovered recently that 75% of my work if not more were made with only one light and one modifier only... Can you guess which one? Before you leave me a hate comment below, because I own Broncolor lights, I was working the same way 6 years ago with only a Speedlite and silver umbrella. The main differences are the consistency of the quality of light I get now, the battery life, the power and the fast recycle time. Shooting against the sun at noon with a Speedlite is not easy and a silver umbrella is useless if you are shooting on a windy day. Trust me I broke a few of them and it wasn't in a tornado. I needed something small that would give me pleasing results, and this is where the Beautybox 65 comes in. It's basically my default light and some of you have noticed that I often use the grid on it to narrow the beam and focus my light and reduce the spread. It acts as a beauty dish, it gives a punchy contrasted look to my images... everything I love! And what's cool about this is that it all fits in a bag, one Siros L a camera, and 2 lenses a few batteries inside a big bag, but still a single bag! The Beautybox 65 can be used with any Speedlite on the market with the correct adapter, and other brands also propose their collapsible beauty dish. Then, it's up to you to be creative. All the following shots were made with these tools. And my go-to light placement is easy, I always start with my strobe camera right or left, slightly above my model at a 45 or 90 degrees angle. Marina Kudryashova (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f5 ISO 125 at 24mm Here I wanted a bright even light... the sun hits camera left, my light is camera right, If I did this shot again today, I would go for that double shadow on the floor. Marina Kudryashova (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f5.6 ISO 125 at 44mm Marina Kudryashova Palais de Justice (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/500sec f8 ISO 160 at 16mm A few months back I released a behind-the-scenes video with another dancer in the same location with an identical setup. The Benefits of Shooting Tethered: Dance photoshoot behind the scenes Alex Blondeau Palais de la bourse (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f5.6 ISO 800 at 24mm Why do I love using flash? I love "control", and here it helped me keep all the details in the sky! Laura Viaud (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f4.5 ISO 100 at 24mm Laura Viaud (Bordeaux - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f6.3 ISO 160 at 24mm Or like I often do, I slightly underexpose my background, for a darker more dramatic image. Candice Dupont (Toulon - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f5.6 ISO 100 at 16mm Candice Dupont (Toulon - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/200sec f4 ISO 100 at 16mm To sum it up, I am still discovering new ways of using one light, simply because each photoshoot is different, the location, the model, the themes, my mood and when you add additional light sources that are already there, a window, the sun, practical lights, you can fake a 2 light set up. Marlene Chameroy Light in the back and one on the front, easy to guess where the sun is... And you may have already seen this picture, I made a video on how to emulate that 2 lights look with only one light. A 2 lights setup with only one flash? Jessica Paola The sun here is my main light, and my light is placed just behind here bare bulb. Yvonne Smink Musée des Augustins (Toulouse - France) The same principles were applied here for this one but I left her in the shadows! Jasmin Jaï Bains municipaux (Strasbourg - France) 5D mark III + Broncolor Siros L 800ws 1/125sec f7.1 ISO 320 at 16mm Depending on the amount of Ambient light you let in, you can dramatically change the mood. You can choose to have everything in the dark except your subject and embrace deep shadows or you can backlight your subject and so on... The possibilities are almost endless. I am sure, there will be another video on one light setups in the future. My Beautybox 65 will be replaced soon, because despite the fact that I love the portability and the light it produces the beam is too narrow without the grid, so it is not ideal for full-body shots, but this will be the topic for another video

Behind the scenes video feat. Clara René These files could have stayed on my hard drive forever! It's hard to explain, but sometimes, things just don't work out. The photoshoot itself was great, we had a lot of fun, but strangely when it was time for me to work on the files, I wasn't feeling it. A picture, in particular, didn't turn out the way I expected... in other words: I failed. I started editing a few of them earlier this year, but It is only recently that I finally found the time and inspiration to finish the series. This is not the first time, me browsing through my files and rediscovering old photos, and seeing things I couldn't see back then. So before I let you discover the images, let me tell you how it all happened. It was last winter, Clara René is a model I've always wanted to work with, but we just couldn't find the time and place to meet. She's an experienced model, dancer, and performer, to make it short I knew she would do an amazing job. She's basically the type of model I wish I had all the time. I am really glad it finally happened, I was thrilled, to say the least. She traveled all the way down to the south of France and joined me in the city of Toulouse. For the occasion, I decided to make this a special session... we needed a special location, and I got the Château de la Reynerie once again. Create EPIC dance photos with flying fabrics (part II) One thing is for sure, I needed those 9 months! Time was necessary for me to finalize these shots. I hope it will take me less time in the future. Clara René - Chateau de la Reynerie (Toulouse) 5D Mark III - 16-35mm f2.8L II 2X Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/200s f6.3 ISO 250 at 16mm Clara René - Chateau de la Reynerie (Toulouse) 5D Mark III - 16-35mm f2.8L II 2X Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/200s f6.3 ISO 250 at 16mm Let's go a little bit further with this image, let me show you the different steps that were necessary to make this image. A quick breakdown of my editing in photoshop: Clara René - Chateau de la Reynerie (Toulouse) 5D Mark III - 16-35mm f2.8L II 2X Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/200s f6.3 ISO 250 at 16mm Clara René - Chateau de la Reynerie (Toulouse) 5D Mark III - 24-70mm f2.8L II 2X Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/200s f6.3 ISO 200 at 57mm Clara René - Chateau de la Reynerie (Toulouse) 5D Mark III - 85mm f1.8 2X Broncolor Siros L (800ws) 1/200s f6.3 ISO 200 at 85mm For those of you who follow my work, we made not one but 2 sessions that day, here is the link to the other images we made together : Dance photoshoot behind the scenes: Hôtel du grand Opera I guess I will from time to time go back on past sessions to check if I haven't missed anything back then. I believe this series was worth it, I am glad I finally finished it.