My favourite Fujifilm X30 feature: Film Simulations

It should be clear by now that I am a huge fan of the FujiFilm X30 advanced compact camera. In my mind it may be the perfect "street" camera. Unfortunately the X100T (and now the X100F) and the X70 got the majority of the Fuji "press" when it comes to their advanced compact category of cameras. Which in my opinion is a real shame because the X30 is an amazing camera. There are many things I love about the X30 and Fuji cameras in general. I plan on doing a series of posts to discuss the various options and features that the X30 has that make it such a great camera. The first such post will be on FujiFilm's film simulations!

                                                      Film Simulations

One of the things I love about the X30, and something it shares with most Fuji cameras is the film simulation settings. The film simulations that Fuji puts into their cameras are simply amazing. Each has its benefits and uses. On the X30 I changed the video button (customization of the controls is another great thing about the X30) to be the control for the film simulations. That way I can just push a button and have access to the simulations. 

There are film simulations that will fit anyone's choice or preference. Regardless of how you want to shoot, or how you want your photos to look. My personal favourite settings are Vivid (which gives you amazing colours, especially greens and reds), Classic Chrome (which gives your pictures a, well classic look to them) and Monochrome with red filter. In fact, these three are the ones I use in the camera's "Film Bracketing" mode. The film bracketing mode allows you to set three different film simulations and then each time you take a shot it gives you three copies, one in each of the three simulations you set. 

                                                                            Vivid

                                                                   Classic Chrome

 Monochrome with red filter

There are other simulations to choose from including Monochrome without filters and with various other filters. sepia and more. The three above are my favourite ones to use. Of course all of these film simulations can only be used with the JPEG's and don't affect RAW images. That being said the FujiFilm JPEG's are so amazing I have never been tempted to shoot in RAW. The Fuji film simulations is something that I recommend that everyone look into if they are looking for a new camera, the newer Fuji cameras have even more simulation options such as Acros Monochrome and more. The film simulations are a feature that sets the FujiFilm cameras apart from most of the competition.

Favourite Portrait Photographers!

There have been many amazing portrait photographers whose work I admire and am inspired by. Some are old school and shot only in black and white and some shot in color. Some of them are no longer with us and some are still shooting today.

One of my all time favourite portrait photographers is Yousef Karsh! Karsh is known for some of the most famous portraits of the twentieth century such as the iconic shot of Churchill standing with one hand on his hip and the other on the back of a chair. Karsh is also a favourite because he was a Canadian photographer. Karsh was so in demand that he shot everyone from Churchill to Queen Elizabeth to JFK and celebrities like Hemingway, Einstein and many more. His black and white portraits always look more like paintings than photographs. I have a book about Karsh that has many of his best photographs with details about how the pictures were taken. It is full of great stories and insights on how Karsh photographed his subjects. The book came from my cousin who live out in Nova Scotia, I think he found it in the basement of his house.

Annie Leibovitz is another inspirational portrait photographer whose work I love. The people who have posed for her are the "Whose Who" of pop culture and public figures. Her photos can be almost be divided into two categories. Her black and white portraits have a classic formal feel and look to them. However a lot of her color shots almost have a fantasy feel and look to them.

Jason Lenier is a current photographer that I discovered through his YouTube channel. His channel has behind the scenes videos of a lot of his workshops and photoshoots. He likes to shoot in unique places like abandoned buildings, graveyards, caves and abandoned amusement parks. I have found a lot of inspiration in his shoots.

These are just three photographers for now, this post will edit as I come up with more and discover more photographers that inspire me.

Trying A Boudoir Photo Shoot!

Boudoir photography is an interesting field of photography. The pictures are both sexy and artistic. Boudoir photography can do a lot to take the models out of the comfort levels and at the same time give them self confidence and make them feel good about themselves.

I recently did a boudoir shoot with my wife as the model. It took her out of her comfort zone, and I would like to think it made her feel good about herself. The following are some of the shots we captured. It is a field of photography that I would like to experiment more with.

All of these shots were taken with a Canon T5 (1200D) using the 18-55mm kit lens. 

Canon's 55-250mm "Budget" lens

I received Canon's 55-250 mm is II EF-S lens (for Canon APS-C sensor cameras only)for Christmas this year from my wife. It is a cheaper alternative to the 75-200 mm lens that is so popular with sports, photojournalists and wildlife photographers. The 55-250 mm lens is a really good lens that is far better than what the price would lead you to believe, it usually runs under $200 (the newer STM version runs closer to $300). The focal range is great, with the shorter end of 55 mm taking over where the 18-55 mm kit lens ends and the 250 mm is actually further than the "pro" zoom lens of 200 mm. The lens is pretty sharp and so far I don't have any complains about the quality of the pictures taken with this lens.

This is a shot I took just of our Christmas tree, using the Canon T5 at 250 mm, f5.6, 1/6 sec,  iso 1600. I have no complaints with the sharpness and the bokeh is nice, even at f5.6.

This is a picture I took out my back door of a neighbours birdhouse in a snow storm. I took it using my Canon T5 at 250 mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec, iso125.

I took this picture of a sunrise over Lake Simcoe in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. I took it at 123mm at f5, 1/1000 sec using iso100. This is a picture right out of camera with no editing. I love the colours.

If I were to have any complaints about the lens there would be two. Firstly, the max aperture is only f4 at the 55 mm end of the zoom and drops to f5.6 at the 250 mm end. I would have preferred a larger aperture, at least one of f2.8 and for it to be a constant aperture.

Another complaint, well not so much for me but it will for others, and that is that the Image Stabilization is on the loud side. There is an audible clicking sound from the I.S. and for anyone wanting to use this lens for video will have a problem with the clicking sound being heard on the video. If anyone is shopping for one of these lenses for video I would recommend they spend the extra money for the newer STM version, the STM (short for STepping Motor) is a quieter image stabilization mechanism that Canon designed with video in mind. However if you are like me and only take photos, then the "is II" version is a good options, the clicking noise is a bit annoying but if not doing video then it is a minor annoyance.

So all and all I am very happy with the 55-250 mm is II lens. It is a great "budget" zoom lens that doesn't behave or shoot like a cheap lens. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good zoom lens for their Canon APS-C sensor cameras. It is great lens for general landscape and still wildlife photography. I would not recommend it for sports or moving animals, it just isn't a fast enough lens for that. However for most other types of photography it is a very good zoom lens.