Fujifilm X100V - Document, Explore and Create
A couple of months ago, Fujifilm approached me to do a project with a prototype of the new X100V. As usual we were given a general theme and complete creative freedom to fill it in. For this project, the title was “My Milestone”. I decided to focus on everyday life and the role of photography in it. You often only know which moments will become milestones in hindsight. That’s why I find it important to photograph every day life. A camera is also an excuse to explore, meet new people, visit new places, … And lastly a small but powerful camera allows me to create anytime, anywhere.
Here’s the video I did for Fujifilm:
My parents didn’t have anything with photography. I don’t blame them but it means that the family albums consist of “highlights”: birthdays, holidays, trips, … but very little in-between moments. I don’t have anything against the highlights but I believe the ordinary days are just as important to document. I certainly shoot more on the special days but I also try to photograph what’s boring and ordinary right now but might be valuable in 20 or 30 years.
More and more I see the camera as an instrument to explore instead of a device just to capture the world. Sometimes the camera is the perfect excuse to be curious and the trigger that makes you look more carefully and differently to the world around you. During this project I met a group of amazing women who work out together as part of cancer treatment. I drove for 3 days along the small back roads around the border between Belgium and Holland. I finally took the time to really meet a guy that I’ve been aware of for 20 years but never really talked to. I went 30 years back in time for a party and I had a great conversation with a standup comedian. I love exotic places but you really don’t need to go very far to explore.
I admire artists that work out elaborate concepts and then execute the plan to perfection but my mind doesn’t work that way generally. I like to be surprised, I like to work with the inspiration of the moment and improvise from there. That’s how I love creating images.
It can be just a play of light, color and shadow:
Or maybe just and existential traffic jam moment:
Or an improvised shoot with someone that I’ve only briefly photographed before and always wanted to photograph again.
When I first met Annabel, she was the make-up artist on a shoot I did with a friend. She’s a great make-up artist btw, which is maybe why she is such a great person to have in front of the camera too. She isn’t afraid to experiment and immerses herself into the shoot completely. Mutual trust is the key to collaborations like this.
I owe Fujifilm a big thank you for letting me do this project. Sure I love to play with a new toy but it’s even more important to do something with it that matters to me. For Fujifilm it’s always about real photography first … for me too.
In case you want to know more about the camera, check out my review: