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The creative mountaintop Irene Yee harnesses FUJIFILM X-H2’s cutting-edge potential to deliver a detailed look into the lives of her climbing heroines
“When you’re dangling in the air, you’ll never frame perfectly. Having masses of resolution is important” with the camera was a week-long trip to Kentucky, to photograph climbers there. X-H2 was the only system I brought, so I really got a deep dive into it,” Yee notes. “I believe the true test of a camera is the everyday hubbub, working from early morning until it gets dark.” Uniquely, Yee didn’t first approach the sport as a photographer. She ACTION SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY sees creatives throw themselves into the most challenging settings, placing enormous demand on both mind and body alike for the sake of artistry. It takes a special camera to keep up – but that’s exactly what Irene Yee has found in recent months. She has spent hours positioned halfway up a sheer cliff face, with FUJIFILM X-H2 in hand. “One of my recent big projects
was deeply ingrained in the climbing community long before picking up a camera. But through the years since, her artwork has begun to take on a quite distinctive aesthetic, complemented beautifully by X-H2’s refined technology. “Nobody could deny I like bright, bold colours,” she enthuses. “I didn’t realise I was developing a personal style, but you just gravitate towards what you love. So, it’s nice for me to have all of X-H2’s beautiful tones to play with. My perspective lets me present climbing authentically, and the camera helps me frame those moments in artistic ways that you don’t see often in the industry.” In addition to near limitless custom control of the image, there are 19 Film Simulation modes to choose from – each offering a finely crafted look with no edit. Created at once with Raw files, JPEGs are print- worthy straight from the camera. X-H2’s unmatched quality isn’t solely limited to colour science. The camera houses a 40.2-megapixel sensor, setting a new precedent for the APS-C format. Such quality is a huge benefit to all genres, and Yee’s action scenes are no exception. “Most photographers never have to photograph without their feet on the ground, but when you’re dangling in the air, angles become
IRENE YEE (she/her) @ladylockoff Facing the many challenges of sports and adventure photography with creative flair, Irene Yee has broken the mould of traditional rock climbing imagery. Where many focus purely on athletic feats, she presents joyous depictions of community, inclusivity and personal achievement. a challenge,” she reveals. “You’ll never frame perfectly, which means rotation and cropping in post are essential. So for me, having masses of resolution within small sections of the frame is incredibly important. “The other thing I love about the 40-megapixel quality is how well it applies to the versatile subjects I photograph. A human face and a rock face are very different things, but it’s all part of my work, and X-H2 gives beautiful detail both far away and close up.” Groundbreaking resolution alone would be enough to enchant most image makers, but that’s far from all this professional X Series flagship offers. Powerful stabilisation, advanced AF and rugged weather resistance are all incorporated to meet any challenge the creation process may pose. “I am almost exclusively a handheld photographer,” explains Yee, “although this level of IBIS is so helpful for anybody. There’s only so still you can be. “With previous systems, I’ve seen autofocus struggle to pinpoint faces next to textured rock walls. In the
moment, there’s no time to check each photo, but there isn’t time for manual focus either. You need a camera you can trust to detect eyes or faces – and that’s what I’ve been finding with X-H2. “The demand for durability in this genre speaks for itself. So far I’ve been in heat, dust and sand – and the camera has held up well. For one project, I was literally on a sand dune – there’s no chance of keeping it off the camera,” Yee laughs. “In adventure photography, you have to
let go of trying to maintain perfect cosmetic condition, but long-term usability cannot be overlooked.” In the broadest sense, the least we expect as image makers is a set of tools that do not restrict the process, and for adventurers like Yee, freedom is everything – in art and in life. “Having a camera that lets you create the way you want is the most important thing there is. That’s what I enjoy most about X-H2. As part of this project, I photographed a
DEVIL IN THE DETAILS The 40.2-megapixel resolution of X-H2 makes it perfect for capturing mixed textural compositions of human, foliage and sheer rock
14 Photography News | Issue 103
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