Fuji X100S for Family Photos? A Candid Assessment

The Fuji X100S has been out for a while and there are already plenty of reviews for it.  Instead of being a general review, this user review will focus on the X100s' suitability for family and candid photos.  I will first discuss how a 35mm* lens is useful for candid shots.  Next, I will discuss how the X100S is different from other 35mm lens/camera combinations.  I will then discuss how the X100S performs.  Of particular concern is whether it can capture fast-moving subjects (e.g. kids and pets).  Lastly, I will also list some possible alternatives for those who are interested in this camera.

*By "35mm" I mean a lens and camera combination that has the same field of view as a 35mm lens on a full frame 35mm (36x24mm) sensor.

Yes, that's a shot of my daughter on a swing.  But you shouldn't jump to the conclusion that the X100S is good for candid action shots.  Because the truth is that capturing fast action on the X100S is possible but only under some circumstances.

Note: unless otherwise noted, the sample shots here were taken in raw, then converted in Lightroom, with minimal adjustments.  Shots of the X100S itself were taken with the Stylus 1.

3 Suggestions for Capturing Fleeting Moments (Basic)

There are dozens of things that need to be right in order for a photo to be perfect.  The smallest imperfect detail can ruin a shot.  At the same time, with candid and family photos, moments that are worth photographing last only a few fleeting seconds, making the use of a checklist impractical.

Instead, here are suggestions to increase the probability of getting at least a satisfactory photograph.

1. I suggest creating a database in your head by analyzing your own photos and those of others. What worked, what didn't and why.  Doing this frequently will improve your instinct for recognizing what would look good.

2. To execute your vision quickly enough, you need to build unconscious competence, which comes from a lot of practice. For example when I started learning about lighting, I had to think a lot about what are the correct settings to use, especially with balancing flash and ambient. After doing that thousands of times, I no longer need to think about it. I know what settings to use and how to adjust quickly. That way, I can focus on other aspects such as the concept and the composition.

3. Previsualization.  Even though the nature of candid and family photos almost always precludes setup, it is possible to visualize a shot ahead of time and anticipate the moment when the shot is most likely to occur, such that when it happens the only thing you need to do is press the shutter.

The image above isn't great, but it illustrates the point.  At the time I was about to take the shot, our baby was just playing around in his crib. I imagined a shot from a high point of view, and framed and focused the shot accordingly.  When he finally lifted his head, all I had to do was to press the already half-pressed shutter the rest of the way.

What about continuous shutter release?  I think it does have its use for very fast moving action but I didn't list that here because in my view it drains attention and focus, causing us to miss the perfect moment.

Any other techniques you find useful? (Please post in the comments.)

Snapshot or Photograph? (Basic)

Many photographers describe a picture as a snapshot or photograph as a shorthand way of whether the picture has artistic merit. But that begs the question of what makes a picture a photograph rather than a snapshot.  I thought about this for a while and I think that the distinction between snapshots and photographs is that photographs are created actively, while snapshots are taken passively.  I also think the distinction isn't binary, but more of a continuum.  The more creative choices a photographer consciously makes, the more the picture would be considered a photograph instead of a snapshot.

Here's an example.  Both pictures are of the same subject (chair) at the same location (hotel room) taken within minutes of each other.  They represent the same photographic opportunity and potential, but the results are entirely different.

In the first shot, I didn't think about the shot at all. I just took it.

In the second shot, I made several choices consciously.

- First, I observed the chair. What I found most interesting were the curves of the chair and the pattern of holes. I then visualized how I wanted the shot to look to highlight both of these aspects of the chair.
- Framing: I selected what part of the chair to photograph, and how I wanted to frame it.  I tilted the shot so that the curve would form a diagonal line across the image.  I also made sure to capture the concentric curves on the bottom right of the shot which echoed the diagonal line.
- Shooting angle: I observed the chair from various angles and distances, and chose a lower shooting angle.
- Focal length: I tried looking through different focal lengths and chose a moderate telephoto angle (50mm is equivalent to 75mm in 35mm terms).
- lighting: I moved the chair near the window so the light would shine through some of the holes.
- DOF: I chose a narrow depth of field to create a variety of light patterns in the pattern of holes.  To get the narrow DOF, I used a wide aperture, used a short camera-to-subject distance, and used a longer focal length.
- focus target: I chose to focus on the curve to draw the viewer's attention to that, and from there allow the curve to guide the viewer's eyes toward the blur from the shallow dof allows the curve to melt among the dreamy pattern of holes.
From these choices I got the shot above.

POSED VS. CANDID PHOTOGRAPHS
It is possible to create a photograph with both posed/setup shots and candid shots.  However, you are faced with different challenges in creating a photograph.  With a posed shot, it is easier to control creative choices.  However, because it is posed, there is an implied expectation that the photographer will in fact make all available creative choices.  Almost any significant flaw will make the picture seem like a snapshot instead of a photograph.  I have a lot of examples of those :( Here's the most recent one (because the subject is positioned to face the camera directly, I consider it a posed shot):


With candid shots, it is more difficult for the photographer to control all creative choices, but because it is assumed that the photographer is not 'directing' the subject, there are fewer variables that the photographer is expected to control.

Birthday invitation part 2: the shot

So we got to the park and I had to rush to catch the last rays of sunset. I pulled out my lightstand, attached a convertible umbrella in shoot-through mode. I found a tree with some sunlit grass in the background and positioned the light stand near the tree and tried to cajole our son into running around the tree into the direction I wanted. But he was just running everywhere and wasn't anywhere near the position I was thinking of.

With time running out, we tried to improvise and just went for a less specific shot of him near the tree. Before taking the shot, I made sure I was in RAW mode to give me maximum latitude for postprocessing. I set ISO at 200 as an approximation of what I thought to be the appropriate ISO for the amount of light available. I set the metering mode to matrix, and set the exposure mode to Program because I was in a hurry. I wanted the umbrella to be the key and the ambient to the be the fill, so I
1. set exposure compensation to -1.3 stops
2. set flash exposure compensation to +1 stop.
With the Nikon flash system, the exposure comp affects the flash metering as well, so to keep the flash exposure normal, I would have had to add +1.3 stops. However, I intentionally underexposed by 1/3 of a stop to avoid blown highlights.

It would have also been possible to use the ambient as key and the flash as fill, but that combination would have made the background less saturated with color.

Straight out of the cam, the shot needed improvement.


With respect to composition, I was a bit surprised, because I usually make a conscious effort not to put the subject in the exact middle, but that's where his face was. Too bad - it would have been nicer to see his shoes... The colors were also off - not at all what the scene looked to my eyes. (Just a couple of minutes of postprocessing can fix that, as I discuss in my next entry.) But it was more or less ok.

With at least one "safe" shot in my pocket, I was free to experiment. We let our son play in the grass. With him running around, I all but abandoned the light stand. I was pleased with how some of the shots turned out after a little postprocessing.




I liked the light in this one, but shutter speed was way too slow, so the image came out blurry. Mental note to bump up ISO next time.