Following a fortnight’s
unreliable, unprofessional, timewasting “models”, I was delighted to find a
message from Efi. She wanted to shoot an editorial theme, in central London.
I don’t shoot much editorial,
nor do I visit the capital much these days. However, I knew she’d show, on
time, fully prepared and full of enthusiasm. We met at St Paul’s Station, and
these steps proved an ideal starting point.
The public can pose a real
challenge. Thankfully, even in London, most people have proven discrete and
respectful. Nonetheless, the sheer volume can frustrate. I took a series of
frames laying on my side, timing shutter presses exactly.
Waiting for them to leave the
frame completely was futile. I had no desire to spend extended periods removing
them, in post-production, either.
Efi has a very clear idea of
what she wants to achieve, which is extremely helpful. This is matched only by
her work ethic. We went through three outfit changes and walked at least five
miles.
Aside from stopping every few
frames to assess progress, poses and styles, we worked for four hours. Light
was fading fast, towards the end, my little Samsung NX3000’s F2 lens was
struggling to keep pace. Ideally, I like to keep the ISO at 100, for optimal
quality. I didn’t want to be encumbered by a tripod either.
Predictably, the Sony’s 1.8
fared much better. I’d like to add a 50mm 1.4, to my ensemble, at the right
price. Ordinarily, my location shoots are done by 1530-1400 during December.
Studios are less prescriptive,
set up for f8 (f7.1, sometimes 5.6) and 1/125. Well within the scope of most
kit lenses. However, where appropriate, I enjoy the variety and challenge of
location work.
David Bailey once remarked
that “Cameras have attitudes”; Context is crucial, and it seems he is referring
to the attitudes they invoke. Those expressed by the photographer and those,
being captured by them.
I’m inclined to suggest this
also applies to camera attitudes/personalities. Both the Samsung and Sony developed
an annoying, intermittent focusing fault. One which has never struck before, and
has (famous last words) been exorcised…
