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that was beautiful colours straight out of the camera. I started with an X-T1 and was using it so much that we knew we had to invest in backup bodies. The X-Pro2 came along next, realising we could use it just as well for weddings as street – and then the X-Pro3. With X-H2S, Matt and Alex were excited about its video features, but I wasn’t expecting it to be my choice for stills. I was wrong – it’s an amazing hybrid. “Because we’re so focused on spontaneity, we need cameras that respond as quickly as our minds,” Dom continues, “and the X-H2S takes speed to another level. Eye- tracking AF is particularly amazing, because it lets me follow a subject, “Subject tracking is just as good in movies as stills. I don’t even need to check if a shot is in focus – it always is!”
‘hunting’ or ‘fishing’ in photography,” Dom explains. “While most of the time we’re hunting and assessing a location to see what it might produce, at others, we might spot one part of a jigsaw and keep it in mind for later, like a prop or frame.” In video, it’s similar but different, says Matt: “Our style is quite fast, with three- or four-second edits, but within that time we still want to show something surprising or meaningful. The layering that Dom talks about is more difficult in video because it’s not a frozen moment, but we can do things stills can’t. We often frame with movement in mind and use motion to reveal situations, rather than showing the end product as in a still. Again, it’s about anticipation, and if we know something is about to unfold, we can reveal it by blocking parts of the frame to keep the viewer hooked. While we never set anything up, there is some choreography in telling the tale.” All members of the York Place team now work with the Fujifilm X-H2S, but their choice of camera has evolved along with the X Series itself. “We quickly migrated to the X Series,” says Dom. “A big part of
but also move focus away with a simple shift of the dial if I want it to be somewhere else. And I can switch in and out of those modes with the buttons on the body by default. “The tracking is incredible for dance floor images,” she goes on, “and because we don’t use flash, X-H2S’s ISO performance is vital. Pictures are clean and detailed even at the higher settings. By the end of the day, I’m thankful for the camera’s larger handgrip, too, which takes a lot of strain away – and makes handling a lot safer on the more boisterous dance floors!” As for video performance, it’s a similar story. “Using the X-H2S has let us work handheld a lot more,” says Matt. “It’s small, light and the in-body image stabilisation is brilliant. Previously, we worked with monopods, but now we roam more freely, which leaves us more likely to capture the moments we’re looking for. The camera’s tilting screen helps, too – and subject tracking AF is just as good in movies as stills, which lets me work with two bodies. I don’t even need to check if something is in focus – it always is!” The X-H2S’s 6K video mode has helped Matt. “We record in 4K most
TRUE COLOURS Pick up all the vibrant hues of a typical wedding scene with the X-H2S, thanks to Fujifilm’s world-renowned colour science
video and be straight into the right settings is amazing. We can all be second shooters, mix and match lenses, and with seamless colour and quality. That responsiveness is vital in our storytelling.”
of the time, which allows cropping to Full HD, but the 6K mode is a level beyond that. It’s so useful for ceremonies in particular, where I can crop in from an unmanned camera to fine-tune a shot, or make a new angle.” As a business, only needing one camera body is incredibly helpful, Dom confirms. “Even though the disciplines are distinct, the fact we can switch the camera from stills to
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Issue 105 | Photography News 13
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