CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

Fujifilm X-T4 + XF10-24mm f4 - 1/60 @ f20 ISO400 - Haida CPL + 0.9 ND soft grad One of the things I like doing when working at a race circuit is to go out for a walk in the evening to check out where the best spots are to shoot from and also confirm that the red zones (no go areas) are all marked for when the track goes live. It is also an opportunity to get some shots of the circuit from the drivers point of view, something you can't do when the cars are actually on track.   At the last event for the European Le Mans Series at the Circuit Paul Ricard I took part in the evening track walk and with the setting sun I was able to capture some interesting shots of the kerbs and the run off areas around the circuit.  Paul Ricard is famous for its red, white and blue stripes in the run off areas which have replaced gravel traps for slowing cars that have spun off the circuit. Fujifilm X-T4 + XF200mm f2 - 1/4000 @ f2 ISO160 I suppose it is my fine art or land...

Fujifilm X-T4 + XF200mm f2 - 1/40s @ f2 ISO250 The 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place in less than three weeks (19/20 September) and one of the best parts of photographing a 24 hours race is the chance to shoot the track action in the dark.  Because the world's great motor sport event was postponed from its usual mid June date due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the September date, with its earlier sunset and later sunrise times, will provide more opportunities to shoot in the dark   However, shooting under the cover of darkness also presents a few challenges with regards to exposure and focusing but the results are worth the extra effort required.  Last weekend I was at the Circuit Paul Ricard with the European Le Mans Series for the Le Castellet 240, the only ELMS night event on the calendar and a good opportunity to practice my very rusty skills as the last night race I shot was the FIA World Endurance Championship 8 Hours of Bahrain last December. Fujifilm X-T...

Image taken on X-T4 with XF35mm f1.4 and a 16mm Extension Tube Macro photography is a fascinating subject but cost wise the equipment needed can be eye watering, but it doesn't need to be.  There are several options to produce a macro image. A dedicated macro lens Adding extension tubes to decrease the minimum focusing distance and increase magnification. Using close up filters MACRO LENSES Fujiflm make two lenses that are labelled as 'macro'.   The first is the XF60mm f2.4 R, one of the three original X series prime lenses launched in 2013 and the newer XF80mm f2.8 R LM OIS WR macro.  The 60mm is not a true macro lens as it doesn't reproduced images at a ratio of 1:1, it is a 1:2 (half size) lens, where as the 80mm is a true 1:1 macro lens. I bought a 60mm in 2013 alongside the 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4 and 14mm f2.8 primes when I bought the X-Pro1.  It was an excellent short telephoto lens.  It was a bit slow in the auto focus department but optical...