It Came Upon A Midnight Clear -The Gingerbread Monolith

12/25/20: Read the original article by clicking here.

December 25, 2020 will always be remembered by San Franciscans as the day we were visited by aliens (purported) with a taste for gingerbread (confirmed). Mysteriously, a monolith appeared on the hills of the Corona Heights Park. Apparently the original Christmas post went viral, and soon everyone had seen, or made plans to see, this tribute from outside our planetary bubble.

I woke on Boxing Day (December 26) to a text message about the artifact, and after eating a hearty breakfast, set forth to see it for myself.

1/400 second, F 8.0, ISO 200, flash assisted.

On my ascent, I was met by legions of walkers who had already examined what was left of the monolith, each more than willing to blame animals for defiling the monument. When I finally arrived, I confirmed the carnage without assigning blame. It appears that somebody double-dog dared this woman to touch the artifact and then step away without laughing. She lost. Or so I imagined.

1/400 second, F 8.0, ISO 200, flash assisted.

Soon dozens of visitors came to view the ruins, and more than one dog sniffed at the soggy gingerbread remains, wondering to themselves, "Is my human watching?". It appeared the monolith was made from plywood to support the gingerbread siding. And I can easily imagine animals chowing down on the makeshift gingerbread house, sharing in the joy Hansel and Gretel must have felt when they nibbled on the witch's house.

After the dog walkers and energetic climbers had visited the structure, families with young children started to arrive. It's hard to tell their reactions, covered as they were with masks. I am sure this will be a moment long remembered, although I suspect that seeing the structure in all of its glory would have been truly awe-inspiring. One could only imagine the artwork the monolith would have inspired if regular school resumed in January. Le Sigh.

The Kit: This morning, I indulged myself and used my X100T in the auto-focus mode. Oh the joy! I also brought a flash, a Flashpoint Zoom Mini, aka Godox TT350 Mini Thinklite flash. I also carried a generic flash cable for Canon cameras. My understanding is that the Fuji's pin contacts were located in the same locations as the Canon's, and that the cables were SUPPOSED to work. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a Canon configured cable that provided proper synchronization, so I only use the cable when prepared to shoot in the fully manual mode. For these shots, i simply used the flash on-camera with satisfactory results. 

The Backyard Birder

   For a compilation of the morning walk images, click here.

This photo was made just hours before California entered its newest lockdown. It will accompany an article about Backyard Birding, an activity one can enjoy by yourself while maintaining on-line contact with fellow birders. For the record, I wore my mask at all times, and my subject removed hers only when the photo was being made. The location was my subject's back yard.  I used a short telephoto lens, so we were farther apart than you might think.

The photo was lit from both camera left and camera right. If you look at the shadow cast below my subject's chin, you can see that it's triangular in shape a clue that two lighting sources were involved. The light from camera right comes from morning sunlight passing through a translucent umbrella, while the light from camera left comes from a flash and a shoot-through umbrella.

For this assignment, I remembered to bring my Westcott 7' translucent umbrella which was used to soften the direct morning sunlight. This both decreased the intensity and improved the quality of the light on my subject's left, providing some separation from the dark background. You notice the bit of light on my subject's sweatshirt. I was smart to request that we used the subject's own backyard which would offer protection of any breezes that might upset my six-foot bumbershoot.

My key lighting would be a speedlight and Zumbrella combination mounted on a lightstand slightly forward and to the left of my shooting position. This gave me the large, round catchlights and provided a soft front lighting on my subject. The flash output was nearly at full power, so I adjusted the aperture slightly to get a proper exposure. As it turned out, the brightness was nearly identical to the filtered sunlight coming from behind, giving me an image that should reproduce well when it hits the paper.

For the shot, I used a Fuji X-T2 with a 16-55 2.8 lens at 55mm. Light was from an older Flashpoint speedlight triggered by an older dedicated radio controller.

You can see the size of the umbrella, and you can image how large a shadow it would cast. The umbrella was positioned to provide a soft light on side of the hanging birdhouse, as you see here. These shots were made without the key light, so the front of the birdhouse is rendered darker than in the final photo.

"Is That A Real Bird??" my editor asked. Yes, it was. At first, the birds kept their distances, wondering what to make of all the unfamiliar activity. After a few warm-up shots, the birds, knowing the feeders had just been filled, tentatively started to take their seats at the buffet. We both stood motionless, hoping that one would land on the feeder on the left. One brave soul obviously did, and I was able to grab one good shot (top of post) before s/he flew off. A second bird arrived moments later, but was too dark to be recognizable.

After Action Report: There are some things I wish I could have changed. The positions of the sun and the birdhouse feeder dictated the location of the umbrella and where my subject would be placed, so I adjusted the key light position accordingly. I might have elevated the key to a higher position to achieve slightly better facial modeling, but overall, there's plenty of detail in the image. Other than that, I was very satisfied with the outcome.

Umbrellas As Diffusers

   For a compilation of the morning walk images, click here.

Flash illumination in open shade.

It's been a while since I submitted an outdoor shot. Now, in the midst of the Pandemic, I suspect outdoors will be the norm, rather than the exception. As such, dealing with the presence of sunlight will become an issue. 

The Shot: I was sent to photograph a mixed media artist who creates living, three dimensional "tapestries" using a variety of materials and living plants. Since Pandemic guidelines restrict indoor events, the exhibit was installed in the courtyard of the local arboretum society. 

I was confident that I could find a suitable background that was fully in the shade, one where flash lighting would be appropriate and easy to pull off. However, I thought that if I found a suitable background, front-lit by a bright morning sun, I could use a Zumbrella* shoot-through umbrella to shade my subject, and then direct a flash at his face. At least it would be worth a try.

1/640 second, F 14, ISO 200.

I was disappointed when I examined may preliminary lighting setup. My subject is standing in the shadow created by my Zumbrella mounted on a lightstand.  If you compare my subject's hands and face, you can see the exposure difference (See white lines). Unless I could properly restrict the supplementary lighting, my flash would spill additional light onto the hands and the tapestry, burning them beyond recognition. Since I hadn't brought barn doors, a snoot, or any way to contain the light, I decided to look for a different lighting approach. But while my subject was in place, I decided to make a quick head shot, something he might want to use in a future publication. I repositioned the Zumbrella to my left to even the lighting between my subject and the tapestry to his right.

 Fuji 56mm F 1.2 lens, 1/640th second, F 8.0, ISO 200

This shoot-through lighting setup was both even and complimentary. If you look at the right edge of the frame, you can see where a bit of sunlight snuck past the umbrella and landed on his shoulder. Notice that the dappled light in the background helped to define my subject's shoulder line.  

1/200 second, F 4.5,ISO 400, Flashpoint X R2 flash through a Zumbrella

The final image was a conventional flash shot. I selected a different tapestry located in some open shade so that the flash would equally affect the subject and the artwork. The only bit of advice I'd give to other shooters is to find something for your subject to do with their hands. Pockets and belt loops work well if you want to portray your subject as the "Oh Shucks" kid living next door, or as James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.

As I prepared to upload the photo, I noticed something. My subject's dark coat got lost in the background shadows. I could have improved the photo by simply asking my subject to remove his jacket, assuming he wouldn't be too cold. Of course, the light sweater might have blended into the tapestry behind him, so I could have lost either way. Careful positioning could have solved that, however.

A mistake made. But if you discover a new approach to a reoccurring problem, it's a pretty good day.

*Zumbrella: A shoot-through folding umbrella created by Divid Ziser. According to Mr. Ziser, the fabric was the same as those used in soft boxes, which allowed more light to pass through it, decreasing the flash output by only one stop.

My First Date With The Fuji X-S10

  For a compilation of the morning walk images, click here.

Order yours here.

As a photographer, I am a serious hobbyist, not a professional. As such, the equipment I purchase cannot be deducted as a business expense, so I will acquire new equipment only if there is some feature that can have a positive effect on the quality of my images. I've been very happy with my odd collection of Fuji bodies, starting from my X-E1s through my X-Pros and ending with my X-T bodies, which I consider my first line cameras for most of my assignments.

I had read the early reports on the new X-S10 body, and was immediately drawn to two important features: The fully reticulated LCD panel and the In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). The latter feature really got my attention because my primary business lens is a 16-55 F 2.8 zoom that lacks image stabilization. I reasoned that if I mounted it on an X-S10 body, I could actually enjoy IS with my three business lenses. That would be a definite upgrade.

I asked my friends at Fireside Camera about the expected delivery date, and they promised to call me when one came in. Low and behold, their first one was delivered about a week ago, and within a day of their phone call, I was in the store examining my new purchase. It had a different feel, due in part to the changes in the body configuration made to accommodate the image stabilization hardware, but I felt that, over time, I could get used to it. Before I left the store, I was warned that the camera controls were designed for an enthusiast and not for the control freak my other Fujis had allowed me to become. I believed that once I selected the control settings I preferred, all would fall into place. I was wrong.

When you update to a new piece of hardware, you notice what is missing, rather than the features that have been added. This is logical, since you can't miss what you never had. Some of things I missed immediately were the lack of an external Focus Mode Select Button, the haphazard (to me) placement of key controls, and most importantly, the "shutter speed dial" that was now an "mode select dial". Gone were the individual shutter speeds engraved on the dial. Instead, there was a selection of exposure modes (Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, etc.), very similar to the settings found on a digital single lens reflex.

Fuji X-S10 (top) vs Fuji X-T4. Not 100% to scale, but close.

Here is a comparison of the X-S10 (top) and the X-T4 (bottom) top plates. You can see that all of the exposure controls of the T4 are clearly marked, while those of the X-S10 are not. When a lens is mounted, the X-T4 (lower image) will tell you everything you need to know about the current exposure settings (ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation, if applied) and the locations of the dials remains consistent across the professional and "prosumer" platforms. If numbers don't scare you, you can easily identify your desired settings. In the case of the X-S10, those unmarked command dials have different functions depending on which mode you select. In fact, the function of the X-S10 resembles an entry level DSLR, which may have been intentional. 

Still, the cost is a major factor (MSRP X-S100 = $1000, X-T4 $1,700) when all I really wanted was the IBIS. I understand the video capabilities are well above any of my other digital cameras, but until I actually need them, the purchase was an investment that has yet to  provided any major dividends. 

Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Truer words were never spoken, especially when it comes to something as straightforward a camera. Heck, it was a Fuji, and after working with them almost exclusively for several years, I felt confident in my ability to wing it in the field. So when an indoor assignment came due, I decided to bring the X-S10. After all, it's a Fuji. What could possibly go wrong?

Ooops! Big mistake here. While I was preparing to make this shot, I started making adjustments as I normally would, but because of the unfamiliar layout, I started changing shooting modes rather than adjusting exposure times. I somehow wound up in one of the programmed modes, which restricted my access to some critical controls.  I proceeded to adjust the exposure the only way I could: flash output adjustment. After a half-dozen shots and some well-disguised nervous babble, I thought I had an acceptable shot. Glancing at the LCD, I could see that my images were indeed suitable for publication, so with a show of practiced self-confidence, concluded the session and thanked my subjects. As I walked back to my car, I repeatedly previewed my image, almost afraid it would mysteriously vanish at the will of my petulant camera. Luckily for me, the hadn't. When the photo was properly captioned and sent to my editor, I started to breath again, calming my nerves with a double ration of ice cream.

Stress Test: Call it what you will, but taking a new camera on an assignment will really challenge your notion of how well you know your equipment. I admit to being out of practice since the assignments stopped coming during the pandemic, and should have taken more time to familiarize myself with the new X-S10. Still, I got my image stabilization and my fully reticulated LCD panel at a reasonable cost, with my pride being the only casualty of my embarrassing lack of familiarity.