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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!

Feat. Isabelle Ménard at the Grand Hôtel de l'opéra Since she left the Capitole de Toulouse ballet company, we didn't have a lot of opportunities to meet again. I don't even want to count the years, but it's been a while since our first session. A lot happened since then, and it showed during this session. Something more intimate, no pressure, all the ingredients for a fun session. What I love about Isabelle is that although a few years have passed, it always feels like yesterday.

With the PROAIM Dolly This is the first of a series ! Bare with me, it will probably evolve with time, and hopefully, later down the road, it will get better but I've decided to change the way I do my reviews. Part review, part teaser of my upcoming work, and part behind the scenes, where you will actually see why and how I use these tools. Today I will talk about the Proaim Breeza Pro Camera Dolly with Tracks, a tool I should have owned long ago. So here it is, the Proaim Breeza Pro Camera Dolly, with tracks and a few legs depending on the height you need for your shots. It’s straightforward, nothing fancy, and amazingly built. I used it indoors, and outdoors, and so far I never felt it would fall apart or give up on me. I had a few situations recently where I needed certain types of shots and camera movements. Things I couldn’t do precisely with a gimbal, especially when I had to do multiple identical takes, and when I wanted to be super precise with my framing each time. This happened during the filming of my short dance film with Solène Monnereau . I felt I could have used the I felt the same while filming with Jessica Fyfe . I am not saying these videos lack something, we managed to make it work with what we had at the time. The majority of the shots in these two videos were made on a tripod, and I wish I had the dolly back then for a few lateral shots and push-ins. Now that I have it it’s nice to know I have this option, to enrich my vocabulary. It's always great to have options, now I know I have a new tool to better tell my stories. So far I have mainly used it on the ground. It is really easy to level the tracks with the bubbles and rotating feet. The tracks can give you a max of 180 cm (6 feet) and can handle up to 50 kg. You have safety hooks to prevent your rig from tipping over, and different mounting options are available. Now I can do those precise smooth shots easily, almost anywhere with this portable Dolly system. I can add a bit more movement, and follow my performer. Push-ins and push-outs are now easy and can help you reveal something and emphasize a moment. If you are into narrative work, or maybe dance videos like me, this can be an excellent tool for you. When I work in tight spaces I can switch from tripod shots to handheld and dolly shots in a few seconds. The Proaim Breeza Pro Camera Dolly comes with a bag that makes it easy to carry around, please check out their website for more info or to discover their catalog of filmmaking tools. Learn more about: www.proaim.com What about you? Tell me in the comments what tools you use for your camera movements, and if you have ever considered owning a dolly system. Get yours: https://www.proaim.com/products/proaim-breeza-pro-camera-dolly-w-track-mitchell-75mm-100mm-bowl-mount

Feat. Alice Pernão An urban ballet portrait session, or a dance photography photoshoot… I haven’t posted a Behind-the-scenes video in a while, so here you are. This one was made a couple of months ago with Alice in Strasbourg. By the way, I will be back in Strasbourg in a month. That day, luck was not on our side, it was a cold day, it was a bit windy, and the light wasn’t great. But when did this ever stop me? Just one lens, the GF 80mm f1.7, and the Fujifilm GFX100s. This is becoming a habit, you know what they say: "Less is more"! Yesterday, I posted for premium members an exclusive Behind-the-scenes video . These 2 sessions have one thing in common: no flashes, no fancy accessories, only me, my camera, and a bit of improvisation. I usually do a mix for my clients. I currently use the GF 50mm, GF80, and GF20-35mm and most of my sessions whether it is indoors or outdoors. But this shows you can still make a wide variety of shots with only one. Since Strasbourg is on the other side of France for me, I have to travel by plane, so I am limited with the amount of gear I can carry with me. For bigger projects, I would bring with me all the necessary lenses and rent the rest of my gear. Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/250sec f/1.7 ISO 125 The advantage of making your photoshoot outside is that you have plenty of options and solutions that will help your model find new poses. Hang on a fence, lean against a wall, or lean on any element of your environment. Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/250sec f/1.7 ISO 50 You know how I love working with lines. I cannot help myself, they help me so much with my compositions and these lines add tension to my images. I often ask my models to look in different directions and to offer me different heights and body openings like the following images: Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/250sec f/1.7 ISO 50 One of my favorite accessories these days, a long trench coat. It allows me to keep my model's hands busy, and even to play with it! Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/640sec f/1.7 ISO 125 This photoshoot didn't end very well for me. I destroyed another 360° camera… so I couldn’t film the end of the session. I had the clever idea, to put my camera on a tiny tripod, and the wind tipped it over. This is what happens when you are in a hurry. My only consolation is that we were able to get some cool pictures. Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/320sec f/1.7 ISO 125 A fast and efficient session, as we like them. It was our first meeting, and first times are never easy. But this was different. Everything seemed simple, like a matter of course. It's a pity that the time didn't follow, I think we could have gone much further. Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/320sec f/1.7 ISO 125 The light that day was weird, and didn’t give us much to work with. If I had the option I would have used a negative fill for additional tighter portraits. I was missing those shadows, I wanted to give more depth to my images. A flash could have helped too for more directional light and obviously more control. I am not saying I am not satisfied with the results, just that I would have probably had a different approach if I had access to a few accessories. I will be off to the WGTF!? International hip-hop festival this weekend, the one and only festival I still cover. And you, what are you up to? I won’t be away for too long though, another exclusive BTS is on the way, and a new dance video should be released while I am there, so stick around! Alice Pernão (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/320sec f/1.7 ISO 125

Tango video feat. the iFootage COBRA 3 & K5s This was a fun one to make. The last we met, it was for a photoshoot we made 7 years ago. I wanted to make a video with them for a long time, and we finally got to do it. Here are a few images that will show you how this tango video was made, and a few words on a useful tool that greatly helped us be efficient on set. Making these dance videos require more prep and takes much more time to make than the majority of my photoshoots. But I feel like a kid again every time I make one. And even though I will still face budget constraints and have to make a lot of compromises, I prefer making films over photography. We couldn’t rehearse on location so the first hour and a half were dedicated to finishing the choreography, lighting, and blocking. We started rolling once we finally had the entire shoot planned in our heads. It was also my first time lighting a project with only Godox lights. We used 2 GODOX Knowled M300BI Bi-Color LED lights and a Knowled M600BI Bi-Color LED Light for the entire project. For that particular shape on the wine barrels, we used the Godox Spotlight Attachment VSA-19K, and we added the Godox FLS10 Fresnel with Barn doors on the M600BI Bi-Color LED Light, for the back lited scene. We used a few new tools that really helped us that day. One was all filmed with the GFX100s, and the 45mm and 21mm IRIX cine lenses . I shared my first thoughts on these budget-friendly cine lenses a few days ago. For this project, we wanted a compact and lightweight video setup, something for me and my partner that can be operational in a few seconds. A few days ago iFootage announced the release of a brand-new product that we had the chance to test before its release. The new Cobra 3, in design, aims to speed up your workflow. It’s a quick solution to get smooth shots. Sometimes, I don’t want to carry around a gimbal, I just want to pull out my camera and within a minute shoot my sequence. A monopod gives you that additional point of contact for extra stability. You can shoot fast with confidence. The improved quick lock and unlock mechanism makes it easy to go from the monopod to my beloved low-angle shots on the upgraded base legs where they added an extra 30mm to the legs from their previous version. I got 2 of them, the standard monopod, and the one with the newly added foot pedal. The pedal is a welcomed addition as it will help you lock and unlock the monopod while filming so you can change positions on the fly. Lighter and stronger than previous models apparently, but I can’t compare as I never got my hands on the old ones. But it sure feels robust and built to last. I used both monopods with iFottage’s K5s video heads. The locking buttons and knob are easily accessible. They made it sturdier than previous models and enlarged the base. Pan and tilt movements felt smooth while filming. I was pleasantly surprised to see the plate compatible with my good old Manfrotto tripod. For small movements, subtle pans, and tilts, with a lightweight camera, I will favor the Cobra 3 combined with the K5s. It’s packed with a nice bag that will facilitate its transportation. I know it will always be with me for every low-key video shoot I will make in the future. The Tango video is now available on my 2nd YouYube channel, on VIMEO and Instagram... But since you are already here, here it is: Get your hands on the COBRA 3: Cobra 3 Original Version https://www.ifootagegear.com/products/cobra-3-original-version Cobra 3 - Pedal Version https://www.ifootagegear.com/products/cobra-3-pedal-version

Urban portraits with Eva Maureille "Less is more", is my motto these days. I constantly needed more on many of my photography projects over the past 3 years. I hit the ceiling not so long ago, realizing that I was unable to only make large-scale projects all the time. But more importantly, I learned recently how much I went overboard so many times. A few past projects could have been developed and materialized with less gear and better preparation. This may sound odd to you if you've followed the blog for some time. I often emphasize the importance of preparation for almost any kind of project. This only proves that I am still struggling to apply my own advice.

The one and only international Hip-Hop Festival It is the only one, at least for me. The only event I still cover, as I retired from this type of work years ago now. It definitely feels like home now. I know the main venue like my pocket, the outdoor hip-hop village, and it is always a pleasure to see all these familiar faces each year. After their return last year (because of COVID-19) I thought that this year would be my last. I am getting too old for this, 3 days in a row used to be fun when I was young... now it is hard for me to work nonstop for 2 days straight. So I figured out a way to work, where I don't burn all my energy early in the day and save myself for the hot stuff later in the evening. Plus the organizers are so understanding, I bet they will hand me a wheelchair next year. Yes, I said next year, because I decided to come back next year and maybe for their 10th anniversary in 2025 if they still want me. I will then seriously reconsider tiring from this... but who knows... anything can happen in 2 years! Down below is a selection of pictures from these amazing 3 days. For the first time, it was a Fujifilm Coverage. Everything was shot with 2 Fujifilm X-H2s and the Fujinon XF 8-16 mm f/2,8 R LM WR, XF16-55 mmF2.8 R LM WR, and XF 50-140 mm f/2,8 OIS WR! If you don't know anything about this event, it's a shame. Check out their website and socials: wgtf.fr instagram.com/wgtflower facebook.com/wgtflower All the battles from this year and the previous years will be uploaded on their YouTube channel: Youtube.com/@WGTF Concrete Battles and 7 to Smoke the Collab' Battle breaking 4vs4

"home sessions" feat. Clara C. Better late than never! I changed my mind a thousand times before releasing this one and charlotte's Behind the scenes video (on the way). The reason for my struggle was that we tested too many different things during these home sessions, and I thought it would be too confusing just to release them in full. In the end, Maeava's session was released a few days ago without the images made with Freewell's Prism filters. The following content is Clara's complete session, and soon I will share Charlotte's video which like Maeva's won't include the portraits made with the filters.

Behind-the-scenes [Extended cut] I wanted to make something different with Manon because, the last time we met, we didn’t have much luck with the weather in Strasbourg. This time she traveled to Toulouse, and then we all drove further south to get closer to the sea. I wanted to work without any artificial light as much as possible. I was looking for a look that would be in between my usual dramatic commercial look, and something more realistic. A little bit of improvisation and a bit of fun in the mix, for a series of photos we were quite happy with.

"home sessions" feat. Maeva K. I couldn’t delete the rest of this, I thought you might want to see it. Initially, I just wanted to play with these apple boxes and capture a few shots… You saw a few images in my quick review of these apple boxes. We had so much fun that what was supposed to be a quick photoshoot, transformed into a full session, and here is the rest of it, another tiny home session, where I kinda changed the way I light my portraits. Maeva is back in the building, months after our outdoor session for Fujifilm last year . We haven’t seen each other for a long time, so inevitably, this couldn’t have been a short one. I talked about this in a previous video, I am currently modifying my lighting approach for my portraits. Finding a way to have more control over my contrast, with a very simple setup. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/200sec f/1.7 ISO 50 I am working with the GFX100s coupled with both the GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR and GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR. I had on hand my usual strobes: the Godox AD1200 pro, AD600 pro, and AD300 pro. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/125sec f/3.5 ISO 50 I dialed down my contrast, by raising the ambient light and by changing the placement of my main light, moving it closer to my camera for a few shots. In the video I published 2 days ago , I used very different lights for all 3 sessions. During the session with Charlotte, I used continuous lights with a hard light for my key and a fill light. And for Maeva, I decided to work with strobes again, with a top light (AD300 pro) and, if you look behind me, I placed a big Silver reflector. This reflector isn’t working alone, I am projecting another flash on it (AD600 pro), which you should see in the BTS footage. My main light of course is the Godox QR-P90 Quick Release Parabolic Softbox, with the AD1200 pro blasting through it. This setup allows me to have more control over my ambient light, my shadows, and overall contrast. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/125sec f/3.5 ISO 50 Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/200sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR 1/125sec f/3.5 ISO 50 I said it in my review of the PROAIM Apple boxes , accessories can really help your model to find poses and shapes. Maeva is an Ex-Gymnast and is now a contemporary dancer. These apple boxes gave her many options to express herself. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/200sec f/1.7 ISO 50 I went back and forth, trying to fight my old methods. I still love shooting "in the shadows", but maybe the lesson here is that having the option to finetune and have even more control over my lights is a solution I should favor in the future, especially in a controlled environment. More optionwheneverer possible is always a good thing. Tastes evolve over time, and so does my technique. My methods and approach will probably be different in the years to come. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR 1/200sec f/1.7 ISO 50 Having my lights closer to the axis of my camera, something I usually avoid, gave my portraits a less dramatic look, at least compared to my usual work. But as the session progressed I slowly went back to my old ways. If you jump back to that session I made with Emma with the same backdrop, you will see how I approached the session differently. The entire BTS video of my session with Clara will be an exclusive post on the blog in a few days. And the one with Charlotte will come a bit later on Youtube. I know I haven’t been consistent lately, but remember, and I’ve said it before, I am a photographer first, a filmmaker, and then YouTube is not far behind. But don't worry, I haven't planned on leaving the blog soon.

Announced a few days ago… There are so many videos about these filters on YouTube right now. And there is a good reason for that. It’s a clever system, and they are that good. I didn’t use filters for years and then ended up using 3 different systems, and narrowed it down recently to only 2. But still, I wished someone would devise a system that would let me use only one. Freewell granted me that wish, all my favorite filters, for both photography and video in only one package! So here it is, the Freewell K2 versatile Variable Neutral Density magnetic system, with an additional filter slot. VND of course, CPL, Graduated ND, Streak filters, mist filters, and more! You can have all these in an easy-to-use system. I only started using filters in certain circumstances. When I have too much ambient light and my flashes are at their lowest settings but are still too strong, I have a VND on. I use Mist filters when I want to soften my image a bit, sometimes 100mega pixels of detail is a bit too much. Plus that blooming effect on light sources has its uses. And something I have been doing recently is using a graduated filter (a Gradual ND) to darken my skies for a more dramatic effect (down below is a reverse GND). I’ve made a series of videos talking about my use of these filters already in the past and some of you are already very familiar with the use of these. So I won’t dive deeper into the effects. What’s interesting here is that Freewell has created a system where you can have all these filters in one package! Creative filters for portraits Do you need filters? Part I Do you need filters? Part II Do you need filters? Part III I used to have a Square filter for my gradual ND filters . Half of the filter is of neutral density which transitions gradually, into the other half which is clear. With square filters, you can adjust the rotation of the horizon line, and its vertical position within the frame. Something you cannot do with circular filters. I also use streak filters for effects from time to time. The way I used to do it is with this stackable magnetic system… Yes, this is the Freewell Magnetic VND system. BTS Boudoir photoshoot with RGB led lights and Streak filter BTS Boudoir photoshoot with RGB led lights and Streak Filter II So Freewell already made a clever system that became my go-to system whenever Grad NDs were not necessary. But they went further with the K2. Redesigned the whole system and now I can literally say it is the only filter system I bring with me because it has all the filters I need. I said earlier I was already a fan of the old system. So I knew it would be well made. It’s future-proof, I got the 82mm version with a few adapters to fit most of my lenses. They extended the range of the VND it now goes from 1 to 9 stops. And worry less about color shifts. It's unnoticeable even when stacking the filters, I haven’t had any issues so far. If you do both photography and video, this might be the All-in-one filter solution for you, because instead of buying multiple systems, you can invest in only one and save a bunch of money. Get yours now: FREEWELL K2 Magnetic VND system

Urban portraits with Charline Poncin It is our 2nd time working together, and I really hope it will not be our last. We almost didn't make this one happen. Busy schedules for both of us and just before the session she twisted her ankle! So I had to adapt and rethink things a bit, but still, we easily managed to make this urban portrait session work. A simple session, with only one camera, one lens, and both us... and the unpredictable weather of Toulouse!