Getting closer | Philippines part 2

Since I bought Fuji X100T my photography has been transforming. That was actually the original intention: to begin getting closer than I would usually do. Closer to people and objects.

The little Fuji is a great enabler for me to achieve that. First and foremost the lens is 35mm (full frame equivalent), which is wider than what I was used to in the past. The new focal length is forcing me to look for new ways of composing the pictures to make them visually appealing. Take portraits for example: I cannot shoot them from distance anymore, have to get closer, which means I’m no longer anonymous and hence I end up establishing contact with my subjects before taking the shot. This is a big deal for me as I have never been comfortable with that before. Fantastic step forward! Another advantage is that the photographs of people have now become environmental portraits rather than head shots. I like this direction too.

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Processed with VSCOcam

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What’s definitely helping in getting closer to people is that the camera is fairly compact. People think I’m just a regular tourist shooting with a point-and-shoot and therefore they don’t get alerted nor suspicious when I take out the camera. Very often in the Philippines people were actually inviting me to take a picture of them or their companions.

Wider angle of view also encourages getting closer to the objects and look for the little detail. When I’m close, I get the impression that the viewer of a photograph feels more like a participant rather than just a distant observer, which is more engaging.

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I continue to learn the new focal length and truly enjoy how it evolves what and how I see, how I approach the subjects, how I build connection with what I photograph and ultimately improves the results. I wonder where will this process take me during the remaining two months of my trip.

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Processed with VSCOcam

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