• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Archive
    • Camera Reviews
    • Lens Reviews
    • Accessory Reviews
    • In-Depth
    • Galleries
    • Guest Post
  • About Us
  • Our Websites
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Youtube

MirrorLessons

Mirrorless camera reviews right at your virtual doorstep!

You are here: Home / Galleries / Fujifilm Gallery / The People of Wales: A Fujifilm X100s Gallery

The People of Wales: A Fujifilm X100s Gallery

30/09/2013 By Mathieu

One of the reason I love going on holiday so much is that I’m completely free to approach my photography as I like, without the constraints of work, client demands and a busy schedule. It is also the perfect time to work on personal projects.

Wales is one of the countries I enjoy photographing the most but this year I wanted to do something more than just traditional landscape and street photography. The first morning after our arrival I was walking through the Machynlleth market and I noticed some very interesting people there. It was at that point I decided that the market, shops and people of Wales could be a very good theme for a personal photography project.

But for me personally, the project was interesting for yet another reason. It meant that I would have to interact with foreign people and ask them permission to take their photograph, something that I’m honestly not used to. I have always admired photographers who do this almost every day with such apparent ease. I tend to be a shy person, which makes me by default a shy photographer.

My goal was very simple. I wanted to take photographs of people in their working context, in this case their stands and shops working only with natural light. The X100s was the perfect choice because of its 23mm focal length (35mm equivalent on full frame format) and because of its unobtrusive appearance. Actually, as I was walking around and observing the vendors, a couple of people asked me if I was shooting film. Another guy recognised the camera and asked me about it as he was planning to buy it.

I must say that the fear of asking a person I don’t know if I can take his or her photograph is not so bad after a couple of attempts. I think my main concern at the beginning was the negative response I could receive to the question “Do you mind if I take a picture of you?“. In total, I think I asked more than 30 people and only two said no. Some said yes right away, others asked some questions first like why or what it was for, but generally, people were flattered. I did encountered some people who were more shy or wary who accepted with less enthusiasm. In that situation, I always tried to be friendly and put the subject at ease as much as possible.

I also asked them for their email addresses so I could send them a copy of the photograph. Unfortunately, not everyone had one or gave me one, but I think it is a nice thing to do. Not only is it a way of staying in contact with your subject but it also allows you to ask them for written permission to publish the photo online.

A quick note about post-processing: I worked the raw files using Lightroom 5 and the Pastel preset from the Rebecca Lily Pro Set II.

The only photo I took of a person I know is the one below but I excluded it from the gallery because she is a relative. Even though I only met her for the first time this year, it is different from asking a complete stranger for a photo. That said, the image came out very well so I thought I would include it in the article anyway. She is also one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met, and probably the biggest “Status Quo” fan you’ll ever encounter!

I hope you enjoy the gallery and my first personal project with the X100s!

X100S, 1/15, f/ 28/10, ISO 800
X100S, 1/15, f/ 2.8, ISO 800

X100S, 1/80, f/ 2, ISO 800 – Philip and his wife run a lovely shop in Dolgellau named “Guinevere”.
X100S, 1/150, f/ 2.8, ISO 400 – Artist Gareth Wyn Jones – www.artworksaberdyfi.co.uk tel: 01654 782 639mob: 07739 720 776 – The exhibition runs daily from 11am-5pm until the 29th September 2013 showing the work of 16 artists.
X100S, 1/340, f/ 2.8, ISO 400 – Nick and his wife – www.railway-stuff.co.uk
X100S, 1/550, f/ 2.8, ISO 400
X100S, 1/200, f/ 2.8, ISO 400 Tea break – www.quincepie.etsy.com
X100S, 1/105, f/ 2.8, ISO 400
X100S, 1/75, f/ 2.8, ISO 400
X100S, 1/350, f/ 2.8, ISO 400
X100S, 1/45, f/ 2.8, ISO 200 Dai from the Lifeboat shop.
X100S, 1/550, f/ 2, ISO 200
X100S, 1/320, f/ 2.8, ISO 200

Filed Under: Fujifilm Gallery, Galleries Tagged With: fuji x100s, fujifilm x100s, Rebecca Lily, rebecca lily presets, rebecca lily pro set II, x100s portraits

About Mathieu

Mathieu Gasquet is a professional photographer with French and Italian origins. Besides running his own video and photography studio 3Dit Lab, he is also the official photographer for the National Cinema Museum in Turin. You can follow him on Google+, Twitter or Facebook!

Primary Sidebar

Reminder

We have moved! Our latest reviews can be found on Mirrorless Comparison and YouTube.

DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Heather Broster is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Heather Broster is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.

Heather Broster and Mathieu Gasquet are also participants in the following affiliate programs: B&H Photo Affiliate Program, Ebay Partner Network, Skylum (Impact Radius), Expert Shield, The Inspired Eye, and Mediterranean Photo Tours.

To read more information, visit our full Disclaimer page. Thank you!


© HEATHER BROSTER/MATHIEU GASQUET AND MIRRORLESSONS, 2013-2024

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Broster/Mathieu Gasquet and Mirrorless Comparison with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.