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First thoughts You just bought a Fujifilm X camera, and don’t know what lenses to choose? You want them compact, light, well-built, and with a fast aperture… and of course, you don’t want to spend much. That might be a lot to ask, but that's what Sirui is trying to achieve with the Sniper lenses. Small, lightweight, and inexpensive (350$ each and 999$ the pack of three) these are the Sirui Sniper Autofocus lenses for Fujifilm X-mount . The pack is shipped in a nice little case, and the 23, 33, and 56mm lenses should get you covered for most tasks. Sirui wishes to stand out from the crowd by offering f /1.2 Lenses... with no aperture ring. I have to mention that I had preproduction lenses to test (Samples). But I was told that they should be very close to the ones you will get. These are a good start, as they will cover all your needs. They are a nice alternative to the native Fujifilm lenses if you are tight with your budget.  I’ve heard so many people complain about the Fujifilm lenses being too sharp, especially for video. If that's what you feel, and if you are doing both Photography and Video then these could be made for you.  I filmed my talking head of the YouTube video with the 23mm, and wish I had considered filming with them sooner. I believe their distinctive look makes them great for video. I may consider doing a Part II only using these lenses for video. You guys tell me if this is something you’d be interested in. For now, let’s look at the photos I took with them in Brussels and Toulouse. Tell me what you think.  I didn't have the best weather in Brussels. I was there for 3 days for the Salon de la photo, but it was raining the majority of the time. I met with a few dancers, and because I was busy at the fair, I could only organize a photoshoot late in the afternoon. With the light fading quickly, the cold, and the rain, we had to call it quits pretty quickly. Abbi Lewis (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 1250 Valeria Gonzalez Maidana (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 1250 I can say that shooting wide open did help that afternoon. I still had to raise my ISO, but it would have been worse without the f/1.2. The autofocus works with the Sniper lenses, and face and eye detection too. It struggled a bit with backlit images and poorly lit scenes, but overall it performed honorably under these circumstances. Abbi Lewis (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/1250sec f/1.2 ISO 1250 Abbi Lewis & Valeria Gonzalez Maidana (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/1000sec f/1.2 ISO 500 My impressions changed on this 2nd photoshoot. Better conditions, still working with only "natural" light. I decided to work wide open once more, to see if my experience would be different... and it was. Snappier, more "locked on" the subject. I enjoyed the lenses a bit more on that day. Kitti Olar (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/1000sec f/1.2 ISO 500 Do I prefer them to the original Fujifilm lenses? I don't know. They are a bit taller and weigh roughly the same. The only main difference is the image you get from them, the absence of an aperture ring, and the f/1.2. We'll see in the long run how I feel working with them side by side. Kitti Olar  (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/1600sec f/1.2 ISO 80 Kitti Olar  (Brussels - Belgium) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/1600sec f/1.2 ISO 80 at 56mm The lenses are well-built, you can get them in white, black, and silver and they feel great in hand. I’ve noticed a bit of chromatic aberration, and a bit of green and purple on my backlit images, especially at f/1.2. The images are also a bit soft wide open and the Bokeh balls lose their round shape as we get close to the edges. T here  is a vintage approach to these lenses, so in the end, it comes down to personal tastes. Again if you found yourself not liking the sharpness of the Fujifilm lenses, then you may enjoy these. Back in Toulouse I did a quick portrait session and did a little fun test for myself. I always wondered how differently I would approach a session in the same location, with a similar theme with the XH2s and another day with the GFX100II. I discovered how not only the camera changed everything, but every single detail of the shoot during preparation... but more about this in a future article. Emma D.  (Toulouse France) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 33mm F1.2 APSC 1/500sec f/1.2 ISO 100 at 33mm I've worked with Emma in the past ( My portrait photography journey ) so it was an easy one. Makeup was done by Jlkbeautys just before the photoshoot, we then wandered in a few familiar streets for a couple of portraits. Emma D.  (Toulouse France) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/320sec f/1.2 ISO 160 The trio of Lenses work well together. I mostly use on this last one the 56mm. Maybe this is where my heart gravitates when I shoot portraits (at least with an APSC camera). I've been testing the GFX100II lately, so this is maybe why I was really picky with the sharpness and details of these pictures. Going back and forth with such different systems can be misleading. Nevertheless, I feel I need more time with these. As a budget-friendly solution, they are great Lenses. I think they have much more to offer if you consider these lenses for photography and video. They don't seem to breathe much, and the autofocus motors are silent their weight and size make them great for frequent travelers, street shooters, and gimbal aficionados. If you fit this description, then you want to click on this link: www.sirui.com Emma D.  (Toulouse France) Fujifilm XH2s + Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 APSC 1/320sec f/1.2 ISO 250 The complete Behind the scenes videos of both portrait sessions are available on the blog and the blog only for Premium members: Urban portrait photoshoot feat. Kitti Olar Urban portrait photoshoot feat. Emma Diloy

Feat. Susie Buisson 9 years, it took us 9 years to meet. I checked, and our first messages were from 2014! We finally got to be in the same city, we were both available so we had to make it happen. Instead of the Firstlight camera bag I had with me the Thinktank Airport International™ V3.0 another favorite of mine when I travel. I did 2 other urban, outdoor sessions during my stay. The other two are already available on the blog. Quick improvised Ballerina photoshoot Behind the scenes photoshoot Feat. Fanny George I got to work in a place I really love Église Protestante Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune de Strasbourg but unfortunately, we could only work during opening hours this time, so we couldn’t do whatever we wanted that day. We managed to get some cool images we love though, all shot with the GFX100s, the GF80mm, and the GF20-35mm lenses. I missed my flashes for a few of them, but we used some good old techniques to make them work. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/160sec f/1.7 ISO 125 Something I rarely point out, I usually post my images in chronological order. This gives you an idea of how I plan my sessions. I usually start with something simple, with my dancer leaning or sitting, so that we can isolate and only concentrate on specific parts of the body. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/160sec f/1.7 ISO 125 I talked about how I missed using a flash for some of these shots, and I must confess, I missed it the most for this one. I would have exposed the brightest parts of the image, to keep as much detail as possible. My flash would only be used to balance the image and to properly expose my model. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 20 - 35mm f/4 R WR 1/50sec f/4 ISO 1250 at 20mm I then spotted anything that I can use around us... and when I saw this, it was inevitable. In a location like this, I just cannot imagine not playing with my environment. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 We liked it so much, we tried different things. I had her sit, stand, lean, and try different shapes until we found stuff fun to develop. This is what I love the most during photoshoots like thisa because e we never know what could happen. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Of course, not having a flash often means less control. I am a bit less concerned about that, and sometimes it's a blessing. I rely less on my go-to formulas, and I force myself to think out of the box to make things work. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 20 - 35mm f/4 R WR 1/160sec f/4 ISO at 35mm Susie doesn't know it but creating something with this statue has been on my mind for years. I finally got the chance to try something that day. There are often a lot of tourists around it, but since it was almost the end of our session, we took our time to have anyone out of the way. Susie Buisson (Eglise Protestante St Pierre le jeune Strasbourg - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/1000sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Susie is comfortable improvising, so we didn’t struggle much when working on precisely framed images. We were able to adjust, modify, or start from scratch pretty quickly. You may have noticed lately, I have relied more on the XH2s, a camera that suits more this type of work. The GFX100s will be only taken on special occasions… Let me wish you a fantastic summer, I am taking a break, it wasn’t planned, but I definitely need it, plus all of you are on vacation, so what’s the point in posting anything these days? I will catch you in 2 weeks or so, take care, and until next time? Have a fantastic end of summer!

Feat. Elsa Robereau This was my 2nd session using the Aquatech underwater housing case for my Fujifilm XH2s. If you missed the article, head to my previous post where I share my first thoughts on this incredible tool.

The smallest and lightest Anamorphic lens! What makes this unique, is the size, weight... and price. Like many manufacturers these days LAOWA is bringing the Anamorphic look to the masses. But what is Anamorphic? Back in the day, lenses were designed so that wide-format imagery would fully utilize the film area of standard 35mm frames. So wide format imagery would leave the top and bottom of the frame unused, which required cropping these out using masks in the projector back then and these days we just crop out what we don’t need in our favorite software. image source: https://filmlifestyle.com/what-is-an-anamorphic-lens/ Spherical lenses project images onto the sensor without affecting the aspect ratio. On the other hand, anamorphic lenses project a version of the image that is compressed along the longer dimension (usually by a factor of two, with the Nanomorphs it will be 1.5). The image captured with Anamorphic lenses then needs to be stretched in post-production to be properly displayed. We are getting close to that unique look and feel. These are usually massive, heavy, and super expensive. Now you can afford them and put them on small gimbals. In the end, it’s the image you get that will help you decide. So what do you think? Will you follow the trend? Or does your project benefit from the look of such a lens? Tell us in the comments below. I’ve also had the Proteus lenses and played a bit with them, but we’ll talk about these in another video. When you watch this video, I will probably already be in Belgium. So I will catch you in the next one, once I am back home... Until then take care, and please have a good one.

Featuring Fanny George We first met 9 years ago… And I can’t go back to Strasbourg without at the very least considering saving a spot for her. Nonverbal communication, quick adaptation, and improvisation make these types of sessions a surprise every time. A lot of climbing, lines, and shapes… playing with the environment, all the ingredients to make a fun photoshoot. Let’s make it quick because by now you should be able to quickly analyze a scene, especially when I am working with the sun, and the sun only. No additional accessory, my GFX100s, and the GF80mm, maybe the 50mm for a pic or two. A lot of backlighting, of shooting in the shadows, you know the regular stuff. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/1600sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Typically the kind of location I love. Lines everywhere, climbing possibilities, things we can hold onto, lean on, shapes, and more... If this doesn't help you with your poses and compositions then I don't know what can. I've talked about this in previous posts, it is never easy to decide what to do with the hands of your models, it can quickly feel awkward or unnatural. One of the many advantages of working with an ex-gymnast and now dancer, is that with a location like that, her hands will often be busy. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Your angles matter, they do! Pay attention to those lines that can give more depth to your pictures, and guide the viewer's eyes. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 One that never gets old, is those leading lines rushing towards the center of the frame. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50 The only shot I made with the GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR. I did this for 2 reasons, the first one being that I wanted to feel a sense of proximity, with Fanny, and the other one was related to the amount of space I had to work with. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/640sec f/3.5 ISO 50 In the following images, you can actually see the difference between these 2 lenses with a similar pose. This is why I often insist on having a good understanding of what your lenses can offer, in order to efficiently use them and better tell your stories. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/500sec f/2.0 ISO 50 Of course, Fanny is not your regular dancer and model. Her physical abilities are also chy I always love working with her. Fanny George (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/500sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Do you need GFX100s to make these? Absolutely not! Look closely at how I composed my images, the framing, the angles, and how I used the lines to create tension and add depth to my pictures. The way we work together is simple. I see something interesting, and I explain it to her. I show her what will be in the shot and the general feel and direction. She then enters the scene and proposes a move a pose or 2 and we build together from there. With a location like this, the lines, the shapes the structure will help us for the final pose. Now this is something I can do with her because I know I can feed her with ideas and concepts and I am sure she will reply and propose something and vice versa. Sometimes, you have to do all the work… and for me, that’s when it’s less fun. I was supposed to do a giveaway in June, but work, lots of work prevented me from doing it. Join me on Instagram ( @hkvisuals ) , I will give you some info little by little in a series of REELs. So if you want to win this bag join me there, and look out for them.

A short dance film Feat. Jessica Fyfe One of the few experimental dance shorts we filmed this year. the 1st one out of 3 with dancer Jessica Fyfe. Shot With the Fujifilm GFX100s and the Premista 28-100mm T2.9. Color graded in Davinci Resolve with the Dehancer Plugin , and entirely filmed inside an apartment in Toulouse in construction. Beginnings [Short dance film] Choreography and performance by Jessica Fyfe Music: Memories Adrift by J Scott Rakozy A film crafted by Haze Kware 1st AC Marlène Blackdough Filmed in Toulouse Shot on the Fujifilm GFX100s and the Funinon Premista 28-100mm T2.9

A short dance film Feat. Jessica Fyfe One of the few experimental dance shorts we filmed this year. the 2nd one out of 3 with dancer Jessica Fyfe. Shot With the Fujifilm XH2s and 3 IRIX lenses (15mm, 21mm and 30mm) . Color graded in Davinci Resolve with the Dehancer Plugin , and entirely filmed inside the Château de Drudas. LOGLINE: After receiving a devastating letter, a woman becomes trapped in a hotel and must confront her fears and anxiety through dance and music, ultimately discovering the strength to face her troubles head-on. The letter - Featuring Jessica Fyfe Choreography and performance by Jessica Fyfe A film crafted by Haze Kware 1st AC Marlène Blackdough Filmed inside the Château de Drudas Shot with the XH2s And IRIX Lenses Music: - Bring to light - Music by Max H. - Violin Piano Floating I - Music by Primo Levi - Violin Piano Floating II - Music by Primo Levi Special thanks to: Château de Drudas

A short session Feat. Juliette Baud I love unplanned sessions, this one was a really quick one with the young and talented Juliette Baud. I was in Strasbourg for a short trip and this was my 3rd photoshoot that day. I would have placed it for another day, but she wasn't available, and I didn't know If I would be able to meet with her again later this year. Before you dive into this one, I just officially launched my GIVEAWAY on Instagram with my partner Thinktank.fr:

Featuring Sandy Océane I received a few comments, messages, and people asking me if I enjoyed the freedom of shooting with very little gear. The answer is yeah, I got used to it, I shoot more, faster and the relationship with the model is different. I don’t know how long this will last, as long as I enjoy it I guess, as long as people ask for it.

DISCLAIMER as this was a french workshop... this article will be exceptionnally in French: 🇫🇷 Mes workshops sont rares, mais je les fait toujours avec plaisir. Un moment privilégié ou j’ai la possibilité de partager mon experience avec des passionnés de la photographie. J’ai longtemps réfléchi à mon approche, à ma pratique. A mesure que les années passent, je m’efforce de moins m’attarder sur la technique et de me concentrer davantage sur l’intention. L’importance de l’idée de départ de sa compréhension par toutes les personnes impliquées. Vient alors l’éxecution, la création de l’image étape par étape. La majorité des questions que je reçois sont liés au matérie et à leurs réglages. Une liste d’éléments qui hors contexte ne peuvent s’appliquer comme une simple recette. Ces informations peuvent aider à la compréhension d’une image, mais les chances de réunir les mêmes conditions et de pouvoir appliquer la même formule pour les mêmes résultas sont faibles.  C’est pôur cela que j’essaie avec le minimum parfois de construire une image pas à pas. J’espère à chaque fois rencontrer des difficultés pour pouvoir proposer rapidement une solution et inciter les participants aux workshops de développer cette faculté à s’adapter à n’importe quelle situation.  Je pense avoir une identité visiuelle qui m’est propre et mon objectif (en fonction du projet) est de pouvoir réaliser toutes ces images qui défilent dans ma tête dans n’importe quelles conditions.  Pour GODOX et Miss numérique nous avons eu la chance de pouvoir travailler au sein de l’école de Condé de Nancy. Un batîment assez unique car ce fût une ancienne chapelle.  Nous avons exploré en surface deux scénarios : Un travail de mise en scène et de mise en lumière avec des tubes led RGB (Godox TL60 et TL120) et un travail plus traditionnel au flashs.  Je dis en “Surface” car il nous a été impossible d’explorer toutes les possibilités qu’offrent de tels outils. Pour les tubes RGB je me suis penché uniquement sur l’utilisation de ces tubes comme accessoires, d’ou leur omniprésence dans le cadre. Un projecteur led Godox SZ300R RGB est venu en renfort pour accentuer la couleur dominante sur chaque tableaux.  Pour mon travail au flash J’ai travaillé autour du Godox Para P88. Un travail sur le contraste, et le control des ombres . J’ai ajouté à chaque fois par étape une 2ème lumière pour accentuer mon sujet (back ou sidelight) et une 3ème pour récupérer du détail, ou pour déboucher mes ombres.  Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55mm F/1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/1.7 ISO 80 Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55mm F/1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/2 ISO 125 Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF110mmF2 R LM WR 1/125sec f/2 ISO 100 Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55mm F/1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/2 ISO 100 Deux séances très différentes, avec un public très impliqués et curieux. Je peux dire que j’en ai appris beaucoup également avec leurs questions. Parfois un regard exterieur me permet d’aborder un sujet sous un angle nouveau. Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR 1/80sec f/2,5 ISO 80 Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR 1/200sec f/1,7 ISO 80 Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR 1/200sec f/2,5 ISO 80 J’espère pouvoir renouveler cette experience prochainement. Il est rare de pouvoir réaliser ce type d’évènement dans de bonnes conditions. Je souhaite remercier toutes l’équipe Miss numérique pour l’organisation ainsi que GODOX pour avoir rendu cet évènement possible.  Qui sait rendez-vous peut-être à nouveau en 2024 ? Angelina Rakova (Nancy - France) Fujifilm GFX100II + GF 55mm F/2,2 R WR 1/200sec f/2,5 ISO 80

The opening it's been 3 years that we develop the series entitled “InMotion”. Initially, it was dedicated to dancers, but now it welcomes circus artists, Gymnasts, and athletes . The idea is simple. No scene, no more studios, we stage these amazing performers in urban settings, in the wild, or against iconic architectural backgrounds. We create and play with lines and forms in unusual settings. We freeze and reveal details that are imperceptible by the naked eye. We brought this project with us in New York, San Francisco, Montreal , Stuttgart , Zürich , Lausanne , Paris, Strasbourg , Bordeaux , and Montpellier and it still grows thanks to our ongoing trips and meetings. We hope this exhibition will be the first of many to come. We could not imagine a better place for this premiere. It all started here a few years ago at the Centre chorégraphique de Strasbourg (Infos about the exhibition) , the place where we met the very first artists that accepted to join the project. The large prints that are currently decorating this amazing place will stay there for a limited time. You have until November 15th, 2016, to come and see a short selection. It is a small step into my world, but a unique experience that lets you feel the emotion of an artwork often buried in the immensity of the worldwide web. I will not thank enough all the people that have helped us along the way. All these amazing artists trusted us and joined us in this adventure. I also want to thank all of you that have supported us since day one and still follow us on social media. This journey has just begun.

Behind the scenes photoshoot My work with continuous light ain’t over. There are still a few things, a few ideas I would like to explore and try. In a past video, I shared a few images I made with Clara, and while I was retouching the rest of the session this week I thought I would share a bit more from this session, and show how easy you can make these at home! This is a… I don’t know what this is. Basically lingerie, fitness, and fine art nude maybe… a mix of all that. Obviously, the body was the main subject and my main concern. This had to stay in line with my regular work because I do have boundaries I do not want to cross. Clara P. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s - GF 80mm F1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/2.5 ISO 100 Clara trains, she works out and it shows so she was a great fit for this session. Since this wasn’t our first photoshoot together, it was easy for us to dive into this quickly and get instant results. Outdoor lingerie photoshoot Behind the scenes. Clara P. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s - GF 80mm F1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/1.7 ISO 100 Clara P. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s - GF 80mm F1.7 R WR 1/125sec f/1.7 ISO 125 Clara P. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s - GF 80mm F1.7 R WR 1/100sec f/1.7 ISO 160 Concerning the gear that I used, 2 different systems were at play here, the GFX100s with the 80mm f1.7 and the Canon EOS R5 with the 50mm f1.2. Clara P. (Toulouse - France) CANON EOS R5 - EF 50mm f/1.2 1/80sec f/1.2 ISO 50 COLOR Vs BLACK & WHITE COLOR Vs BLACK & WHITE These sessions are part of the Tiny home sessions, the ones I make at home in my small living room. I am using one of the cheap backdrops I talked about in my previous video in some shots, and just for you guys, I have a discount code for you if you want to get one or 2 backdrops and even the system that holds them in place. Affordable backdrop solutions for your portraits I hope this video helped you or inspired you somehow ?! I guess I will see y’all in my next post next week, but until then, please, have a good one! Get 20% off for these backdrops & kit with the code ''HZAN20'': https://www.dbackdrop.com/ Elegant Black Abstract Backdrop for Photographers DBD47 Retro Shiny Gold Abstract Backdrop for Photography GC-129 Backdrop Stands for Photography Use the code HZAN20 and get 20% off!