XPro2 and XF 100-400 at Road America / August 20, 2016 by Thomas Weinstein

Late last month I had an assignment of capturing some racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI during and SCCA weekend event. I thought it would be a great chance to see what I could come up with using the XPro2 and the 100-400mm in conjunction with the 1.4X teleconverter from Fujifilm.

My map to help me plan out where I'd want to be, and tools of the trade.

I knew this wasn't the best sports setup out there, but it was going to be a great test of some of the pros and cons of this setup anyways. I mainly used this setup hand held as the 100-400 has a great image stabilizer built in and I made the choice not to bring a mono-pod. I'd be shooting outside and faster shutter speeds would help as well. Road America is a 4+ mile track, and it was interesting to think as a sports shooter. I'd have to plan ahead, learn the course and my way around it. Start out in one corner and then hop in the car and drive around the roads to the next good location. The cars would come by and then it would be almost 2 minutes before they were back again. With a half hour race window, it really limited what you could cover during the race as a solo shooter. Road America is a wonderful road course though, with elevation changes and lots of different views. It was a steamy weekend with high humidity and temps around the 90's.

15 year old Spencer Brockman rounding Canada Corner

Remember that the Fuji is mirrorless, and this model is more of a rangefinder style and not the more common DSLR style. A common problem with this model (XPro2) is that the black out time between pictures can really throw your timing off when following moving objects. This will greatly improve with the advent of the XT2 that will be shipping to the public soon, but there is a work around when using the XPro2. It has an optical viewfinder available as well as the electronic one. When panning (following the car from side to side with a slower shutter speed) you can actually just use the optical finder to follow the car and keep it in the sights quite well. It's not perfect because you won't be able to see everything with a long lens (it gets in the way of the viewfinder) and if you are far away it can be more difficult, but I had some good success with this.

I have to confess that I goofed big time before leaving for my trip. I managed to bring only two batteries with me to WI, when I had a whole stack of them back at home that I meant to bring. Surprisingly I managed to make the two batteries make it through the day and recharged them at night. The Xpro2 is known to use batteries quickly, but keeping the camera in high performance and turning it on and off between shots (a tip from Fuji X shooter Kevin Mullins) helped me make it through.

If you're new to Fuji cameras you need to realize that the size is considerably smaller than the traditional sports shooters kit. The 100-400 is a compact zoom that is a well built and quite sharp. I like the improvement of the lens hood that actually works. The 50-140 f2.8 lens hood never wants to go on smoothly, and I think I've about broke it never finding the right place to align it when in use. I have no complaints with this lens, and used it with the 1.4X teleconverter to give me a 840mm-ish lens when I wanted it. I did use the 50-140 as well as the 35 f1.4 and 10-24mm on my weekend also, but those were used more at other locations and not track-side as much.

screen shot from camersize.com...xpro2 Fuji flagship VS nikon D5 flagship

You can check out camerasize.com to see how different cameras and cameras with lenses stack up next to each other. Here's a link, but try not to waste your day away...click here, and of course i know some people would say this isn't an apples to apples comparison, but my opinion is that if I had my Nikon gear and a 600mm lens at the track I wouldn't have moved around as much or covered as much of the race as I did. I even ran (yes, camera gear and all) from one spot to another because it was a footpath and couldn't drive there. If I didn't move quickly I would have missed this sequence below.

Some tips on shooting motor sports:

1. Faster speeds aren't always better. Your shutter speed can be too fast. Some shots will look like the car was either rolling slowly or almost even stopped if you use too fast a shutter speed. It doesn't apply to all situations, but to be able to "see" speed in a still photograph you'll need to have a reference point, like the blur you get ina panned shot. The shot below is almost too fast a shutter speed, no wheels rolling or background "movement", this could be under a caution or full speed and you wouldn't tell the difference.

2. Panning technique. Practice helps to pull this one off. Find a moving object that will be traveling mostly across you and not not straight towards or away. Try some different shutter speeds that are slower, probably under 1/500 sec. depending on how fast or how close you are to the subject. If you get your timing right and keep the subject in the same part of the frame you can get a clean, sharp shot of the object but the movement of camera in relation to the background that is standing still will cause the blur. See example below.

Panning with a moving object while using a slower shutter speed helps show the speed of the car.

3. Think about the light. As a photographer you always need to think about the light, and where it's coming from. It will help you decide and plan which corner to be at. Is it a morning race? Afternoon? Keep shots looking their best by keeping from back-lighting them with that sun. Best part is that cars don't squint, so they'll keep looking their best. Something else I didn't bring with me was a circular polarizer. I feel like that could have helped with light glare from the track and cars, darkened the sky and the little loss of light would have been worth it.

Trees overhanging the "Kettle Bottoms" of Road America

I hope you enjoyed this write-up. The Fuji XPro2 wasn't the only camera I used for this trip, I also used the X100t which is a fun little camera with an awesome leaf shutter which I made use of on some portraits that I lit an Elinchrom Quadra, an old school version of their ELB400. The XPro2 performed well, but the more of this work I do, I will be looking to pick up the XT2 for a more advanced auto focus tracking ability and the awesome grip and boost ability for more frames per second. I also shot mostly in JPEG, another benefit of a Fuji, great looking images right out of the camera. That's just a personal choice for this outing. No matter what you like when it comes to your camera, just get out there and keep shooting.

A year of learning / April 12, 2016 by Thomas Weinstein

I've found the best carry case for my speedlights.

So I've been at this full time photography thing for almost a year. Have I posted to my blog faithfully? No. Have I taken photographs every single day? No. Did I win any awards? No. Did my family eat? Most of the time. Am I enjoying myself? YES.

So where do I go from here? Let's start with a couple things I've learned.

1. The best way to carry a speedlight. (see above image) The travel-everywhere light that is indispensable to a modern day photographer is the speedlight. Also just called a flash, they do so much more than they used to. I seem to have three of them with me on shoots and have found that I would prefer to have a separate carrying case and stumbled upon this solution. I hope you've noticed the appropriate beer brand of Shiner being used to carry my "shiners" to the job site.

2. The best way to get through your first year of being a pro. (see above image) I kid, I kid. Drinking is not one of my favorite past times (Those who know me realize I'd much rather have a Dr. Pepper than a beer). The point of this is really to follow your creative thinking. I don't really know where this image came from...well, that is only half true. It just hit me that my lights (can I coin the term "shiner" to mean speedlight?)...shiners...fit so well into this nice carrying case and I started to visualize what I imagined to be a clever play on words. Here's where you need to pay attention. I then set aside a time to create. Gathered the things I would need to make the image, including box, shiners and some beer (that happens to not be Shiner brand...devious...) and time to work through getting the images necessary for a final shot. I need to practice this more and more. If you're starting out and there comes a time when the jobs aren't coming in...then get to creating what you want. Make a plan. Work the plan. Keeping creative juices flowing will help you grow.

3. You don't need all the gear in the world. Don't pay attention to the gear behind the curtain...I certainly fall prey to the same "G.A.S." (gear acquisition syndrome...dunno who started it...) as the next guy, but I have sold off almost all of my Nikon gear and focused solely on Fujifilm for my photography. Borrow stuff from friends, rent things occasionally and if you are going to buy something, save up the cash to do so and look for it used. Some gear just looks awesome and you talk yourself into "the need" because of an upcoming shoot. I've done that multiple times. Some of that gear I finally sold off for half of what I paid for it. Commit to using what you already have and stretching it to its limit, not your own. We all tend to think that the gear is what makes us the pro. It's the other way around. $5 foam core panels reflect light just as nice as a $40 reflector that you're gonna leave on the roof of your car when you leave the job. Start with what you have and grow from there.

4. Don't narrow your focus...yet. This one has been killing me. I've heard it both ways. Narrow you focus. Find your Niche...nicht...nitch...I can never pronounce it right. Find your specialty. Yes, you will find your specialty, and you need to be prepared to tell people (potential clients) what you do and don't do with confidence. Don't expect to know what it is right away! If you're starting out just shoot as much as you can. Get out and do stuff. Just keep paying attention to what you enjoy and don't enjoy. Take an inventory of the jobs you do. Buy some 3x5 cards and a card box and then fill out a card for each job or self assignment that you tackle. Go back through after a job is done and write out briefly what you liked about the shoot, the subject, the event, the lighting, the gear...and if you write down your mileage and expenses and money made you'll be on your way to actually being able to fill out your taxes on time too. It doesn't take that much time to learn from your own experience, it just takes awareness and doing it. Remember that niches come and go, and there are lots of photographers who switch their focus during their careers. The higher degree of specialty you manage to acquire as a skill the more money you can make (as long as there is a need for that skill).

5. Build a system. Take notes. Find a work flow that you can repeat. I'm still working on these things. Find some trustworthy photographers who will help you, mentor you. Don't keep secrets when it comes to your photography. Help someone else. Become a part of a community. Share your craft. It will feel good.

Finally, create. It's not easy to be a photographer in today's world. Everyone carries a device that records images and video in astounding quality in their pocket everyday. What makes your work better than theirs? Having a better filter to choose from? No. So you're not working high end jobs that come with their own art director. That's your role for now. You get the freedom to explore and follow your own vision. Get out there and do it. TW

Three images used to make the final image...

It's not a band-wagon / February 3, 2016 by Thomas Weinstein

example of a picture NOT TAKEN with my Nikon D700 (Fuji X T1)

I've been meaning to write on this topic for a long time. I'm not the leading authority on all things photography (yet), but this is something that has been eating at me for awhile. I've been a little schizo when it comes to my camera gear.

I started back in the days of film with a Minolta Maxxum 7 SLR, which moved me to buying a Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D for my first DSLR. They sold off their tech to Sony, which is where I said goodbye. (BTW, my 7D stopped working when I arrived at an out of state wedding...that's not stressful) I wasn't sure Sony would hold true to professionals, and they had a messed up hot-shoe arrangement that they inherited from Minolta. So I started new with Nikon.

Nikon and Canon are a lot like Ford and Chevy, but no one could tell me which one went with Chevy and which went with Ford, so I just chose the Nikon D300 due to its price and specs compared to Canon's...uh, 10D? 20D? I dunno, but I didn't go Canon. Time goes on and you get gear, and more gear and once you've spent enough of your spouse's money, you justify it and "go pro". You love what you have and wouldn't change for the world. Right? Nikon D300, D700 and then D3.

It remains a mystery but I somehow ended up chasing a used Fujifilm X Pro 1, and finally made the purchase. I loved it, and hated it all at the same time. I'm sure any other Fuji X users will claim the same about that particular body. It was different. Rangefinder styling and user friendly dials and the ever elusive aperture ring was once again where it belonged. Awesome. I've had a ton old school film cameras and this felt right to get back to that analog feel. The draw back is that I couldn't get it to focus. Trying to take pictures of my own kids drove me nuts. Kids don't wait around for you to take their picture! So I moved on. Kept one lens but bought a different Fuji, the X-100s. Loved it. Great images with a fixed lens on that model. Picked up an X-T1 (not a rangefinder) when it came out and started buying lenses. The problems of autofocus were gone. The EVF (Electronic View Finder) was bright, beautiful and so fast you forgot it wasn't analog viewing. I now have two of the X-T1 camera bodies and upgraded my X100s to the X100t. Fuji makes all I could need for lenses, except maybe a Fuji X brand fish-eye would be nice. Probably just around the corner.

So what's the deal? Nikon or Fuji? The big difference is price and weight. Not so noticeable is image quality. My Fuji X cameras come out to play way more often than my Nikon clunkers. Fuji shoots faster (okay, not faster than the D3) and it's easy to justify taking on outings. My wife would cringe if I used my DSLR during events that were quiet. Loud. CLICK CLICK CLICK! Fuji has an electronic shutter option, making a quiet camera silent. On Paying jobs I'll take the Fuji, and no one will comment. They don't say things like, "oh, that's not a DSLR! I want a refund!" If you're new to all this, the Fuji X series is mirrorless. The big mirror and pentaprism is gone. It still has a shutter, but the size is reduced. So it isn't a DSLR at all.

EVF-isn't this the future? The draw back of technology moving forward is that the first time it hits the marketplace it might not be as appealing as our time-tested analog-thru the lens, where you can see what you're about to shoot. I'm gonna catch some flack about this, but I say the EVF is better. It's not perfect by any means. Think about this though, you can see the expected exposure, before you take the picture. With a film camera you learned to watch exposure via the light meter and adjust for certain situations. The lab did the rest and made your prints what you wanted them to be even if you didn't nail the exposure. With Digital you take a shot, press play and view the image, adjust and then repeat. I would miss candid shots because of checking exposure and focus. This will all go away as auto focus gets better and better...and because there is almost no down time in using the EVF. You can see the exposure without checking the back of the camera after your shot forever and ever amen! This changes the game.

I've heard photographers say that you should forget light meters and histograms and just check the screen on the back of the camera in regards to exposure (their college professors and other photo pharisees will hate them for saying this). I don't have to check the back anymore. I can see the exposure before I take the shot. Adjust before I take the picture, not after. A film photographer's motto, "f8 and be there..." meaning put the camera on f8 and get the timing right. Now you can nail the exposure and get the timing right. Ever have a subject say, "I think I blinked"? I can view the picture in the viewfinder for half a second after I take the shot and confidently reply with, "No you didn't." Are you a beginner who has problems learning exposure? It's because aperture and shutter speed on a DSLR don't mean ANYTHING until you've already taken the first shot! You can't see it. The meter can be wrong! They've gotten better, but are still fooled by many situations.

So long mirror. I don't miss it. Ever try to carry a flagship camera with a big lens and top it off with a flash? Yes, your arms will get stronger, but your back will continue to hurt. I'm selling my jumbo sized gear. Flagship Nikon D5, or Canon 1D X Mark blah blah blah (never understood Canon I guess) can be bought for $6,500 and $6,000 respectively. Fuji's most expensive X body just launched for $1,600. The image quality is comparable. My wallet and my back are already thanking me.

Oh, and if you are wondering how the EVF will hold up during a zombie-apocalypse, just remember that you'll be wishing you kept that Polaroid and a stash of film because none of our digital stuff will be working, whether it has a mirror or not. There's much more to be said about this topic, so comments are welcome.

PS-contact me if I didn't change your mind about your Nikon, you can buy my old gear

#WorstPhotographerEver / January 21, 2016 by Thomas Weinstein

"the hand of Tom", by the worst photographer ever

I am the worst photographer ever. There. I've said it.

So what does this mean to you? It means you aren't. Funny thing using words like, " best or worst"...etc. I've taken the title upon my self, there can only be one "worst" photographer. You'll have to settle for "bad" or "okay", because I AM the Worst.

Maybe you should look for a different title or descriptor when it comes to your photography. We all play this game. We (photographers, designers, artists) are creative. Right? I mean we have to think outside the box. It's easy to get upset at ourselves and think that we are the WORST photographer at times. The creative juices stop flowing. That shoot didn't go so well. Why can't I get that light positioned right? Everything looked good while I was shooting at the event. Blurry. Out of focus. Blown out. Too much contrast. People blinking in every group shot. White Balance is out of whack. (whack is still a word, right?)

Hold on, where did this all start. I (we?) start off taking a camera with us wherever we go. Pictures of nature. Pictures of family. Pictures of the cat. LOTS of pictures of the cat. It's just one cat for goodness sake! Finally it happens. Someone catches on that you take pictures. They see you as a photographer long before you do.

So they ask, "_______, will you photograph our ___________"? You fill in the blanks. It's how it happens, right? Many of us start out not knowing this would grow to be our path. I didn't know. Truth be told, sometimes I'm still not sure if this is supposed to be my path. 15 years of paying customers, (no, they paid me!) and I still wonder how I came to be a photographer. I tend to be jealous of those who knew this was it, but they are the exception, and not the rule. So you are working at it. You are growing. Taking pictures. People are asking and you're willing. "time to make the pictures"

Four tips for better self esteem as a photog.

Stop looking at other photographer's sites 24/7. They post their best. Only the best. You should take note and do the same. Not every picture is perfect. We are just looking for the perfect one and it can take an entire shoot to get there. (or an entire year, or career!) Find your best and post it. Don't look back at the old and blurry.
Learn something. Grow. Get up and take pictures. I've got a new goal to take more pictures this year. Just more time behind the shutter. More pictures taken+conscious and intentional thought about said pictures = BETTER PICTURES. New and better help you feel new and better.
Find some "Raving Fans". You've got some. You can name them. They may be friends. They may be customers. It may be your MOM. (I love you mom) They are indeed out there and a talk with them will help bolster you through your growing pains.
Ignore the "trolls". We've seen it. Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, your favorite blog. Social world tendencies means we put our work in front of lots of eyes. Some people always know best, right? The guy who comments, (his handle is "hardly working"), that they don't see what's special about a Gursky. That picture, someone paid $4.3 mil for (really?). Say someone pays $4.3 mil for one of your pictures. I'm pretty sure that picture is something special to whoever is willing to pay that kind of money. Ignore the, "Your picture is too dark. Too light. Wrong angle. Should have used a soft box instead of an umbrella. Would have been better if they used Profoto gear." Whose picture is it anyway? It's your picture. You're the artist. We don't have to agree to the method, the image or any or all of the above. You decide. It's YOUR WORK, YOUR ART. If you aren't happy with it because you want to grow and become better, that's only for you to decide. Post your pictures that are your favorites, and as new and better comes out of your camera, replace the old stuff...because you won't like it anymore. Don't listen to the trolls! Don't respond to them. Ignore them, and of course, DON'T BE A TROLL!

Okay. That's enough. I'm not the only one concerned about this. Many pro photographers, who have been out in the open for way longer than I have, write about this very topic. I know we can all use some inspiration. So whether you are just starting out, or are feeling the burn; get out and take pictures for you. Clients should be hiring you to do what you like to do. To make images the way that you like too. Tell them to leave Pinterest at home when they come to a shoot. If you run with an idea from someone else, make it your own.

I don't figure most posts will be this long, I do have pictures to take too. Even if I am the #WorstPhotographerEver. (by the way, I did a search. There is a blog, I guess he beat me to it. I think he's got some great work and an awesome location...

What are some "self esteem" issues you have as an artist?

PS- "the hand of Tom" can be yours for only $1.5 million.