The Phoblographer

All images by Elena Helfrecht. Used with permission.

“I think photography works so good as an outlet for me now that it has a big part in my victory against self harm and self destructional behavior.” says Elena Helfrecht, who describes herself as a 24 year old fine art photographer based in Berlin, Germany. “I have not hurt myself since many years now.” Her work was shown this year at the Berlin Unframed Festival, Turin The Others Art Fair, and Bruxelles Off Course Art Fair.

“With my photography I uncover the human psyche through the body.” she describes about her work. “I like to consider skin and bones to be books we can read in. Often I work with concepts to illustrate certain emotions and states of minds, my camera is therefore my instrument to tell stories that words cannot grasp.” In fact, Elena got started with self portraiture, and then went on to capture what she believes to be the human essence.

Phoblographer: Talk to us about how you got into photography.

Elena: I first started drawing at a very young age. Later I slowly discovered photography as my main medium when my dad gave his old digital camera to me. The camera works for me like an enhanced hand. With no other medium I can bring the images in my head to life in such a direct and personal way.

Phoblographer: What made you want to get into conceptual and expressive portraiture?

Elena: Somehow it developed organically all by itself. My first shots were always nature, mostly little details and things that I found while strolling around outside. I always had the urge to express myself, to get rid of certain thoughts and emotions. Back then I released it all through drawing, but as I got more intrigued with photography I eventually started with self portraiture and slowly switched the medium for my purposes.

Phoblographer: A lot of your work is very expressive and there isn’t a lot of emotion being shown in faces. Instead, it’s through body language. Why do you choose to do this vs showing a person’s face?

Elena: This is a really interesting question and also a process I went through. When I begun with photography I often featured eyes in my work, as they in my opinion were the direct connection to the soul. At some point I discovered bodies as an issue, maybe through self portraits. In the past I often documented my own struggle with depression and psychological issues, always in search of who I was and what defined me as a human. Through photographing my scars from back when I hurt myself I learned to find beauty and peace in them. Before I often considered them as ugly and was ashamed. I think photography works so good as an outlet for me now that it has a big part in my victory against self harm and self destructional behaviour. I do not hurt myself since many years now. I still like the photographs of back then, because they remind me of what I went through. I accept it as a part of myself and of who I am today.

Bodies and their movements, their language, are telling so much about the souls living inside of them. Humans are fascinating and I love telling their stories. True beauty for me lies only in experiences, in truth, and in emotion. We are fantastic creatures and I find it sad that society hides our true beauty behind blank and smooth surfaces that do not really exist. It leads to a wrong impression of who we are.

Phoblographer: How do you feel lighting plays a big part in your photography?

Elena: Lighting is incredibly important for my photography. I rarely use anything apart from natural light. In my opinion artificial light cannot imitate the atmosphere daylight and certain structures and shadows create. Lately I also started to use candles for some of my shots. They allow an amazing play with shadows and create a melancholic, yet cozy surrounding which is essential for some of my concepts.

Phoblographer: Where do you typically draw your inspiration from? A lot of it looks like dark fairy tales.

Elena: I am inspired a lot by Bavaria and it’s dark ...

The Pentax 67 has to be one of the most drooled over medium format SLR cameras ever made. For great reasons too! The Pentax 67 is a film SLR that is more or less designed to be portable and shot handheld by fashion photographers and portrait photographers. For many years it was well regarded and even today, there is some fantastic work that is often done with the camera. Between this, the Pentax 67 II and the Mamiya RB67/RZ67, lots of photographers really have a tough choice figuring out what they want.

The truth is that it really depends on your style and it also really depends on how good you are at being able to create photos.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Fairly portable vs the Mamiya system

Heavy

Good lineup of lenses

Good selection of diopters that can help

Various finders

Great feel in the hand

Depth of field preview with the lenses

Leaf shutter lenses available for a fast flash sync.

Cons

Changing the focusing screen to get a brighter one could be difficult

1/30th flash sync

Reloading can be a major pain and sometimes needs to be done carefully

Gear Used

We tested the Pentax 67 with the Interfit Honey Badger/softbox, Kodak Portra 160, Lomography Color Negative 400, Lomography Earl Grey 100, Pentax 45mm f4, Pentax 105mm f2.4, and Fujifilm Superia 100 that was expired for years.

A big thanks to Lomography who developed and scanned the film for us.

Tech Specs

Just head over to Camerapedia. You’re much better off getting the details about this camera there.

Ergonomics

The Pentax 67 is a big, burly film SLR camera. It may appear small in these images, but it only is comparatively so to a Mamiya system. This camera is pretty much Fujifilm GFX 50S sized. So when a lens isn’t attached, the massive mirror is exposed.

On the side of the Pentax 67 is how you detach the lenses using the little sliding button under the two PC sync ports. When you’re using these ports, be sure to hold the cord in.

Up top we can spot the Pentaprism in addition to the controls. The shutter speeds are on the left (it goes up to 1/1,000) and on the right is the film advance and the shutter release.

The bottom of the Pentax 67 has these two little buttons, sort of. If you push them in and turn one way they’ll loosen and let you change the film spool. When twisted the other way, they’ll tighten.

The back of the Pentax 67 has a film door, obviously. Plus there’s a big viewfinder. This one has a -2 diopter attached because, well, I’m still pretty blind. Opening the back of the camera requires you to pull a lever and then physically try to open the back of the camera vs the back simply just popping open. Perhaps that was designed to prevent mistakes from happening.

Build Quality

This configuration of the Pentax 67 has no electronics. So I didn’t mind taking it out into the rain at all. In fact, I had fun with it in the rain. The Pentax 67 is made of a whole lot of metal and absolutely nothing about this camera feels cheap. Instead, it feels like a serious camera meant to do work.

Ease of Use

Shooting, advancing the film and changing the settings are all pretty simple. If you have the metered prism you can use that but otherwise you should rely on a handheld light meter. My only problem with this camera came with loading the film. Sometimes you need to carefully feel the advance spool lest the little pressure plate that holds the film together presses too hard.

When film isn’t in the camera, you need to find a way to trick the camera into thinking that there is film inside so that you can fire the shutter. To do this you’ll need to open the back, press down on the film counter, twist it to advance it and then close the film door back. It’s a pain but it works out for the best in the end.

Focusing

Focusing with the Pentax 67 is pretty standard and done manually. There are different finders and focusing screens for the Pentax 67 but changing the screens is difficult vs the Pentax 67 II. Additionally, there are a number of different diopters for the Pentax 67. If you’re...

Lens type. Manual lens. Max Format size. APS-C. Focal length. 35mm. Lens mount. Sony E / Fuji X / EOS-M. Aperture. Maximum aperture. F0.95. Minimum aperture. F16. Aperture ring. Yes. Number of diaphragm blades. 9. Optics. Elements. 11. Groups. 8. Focus. Minimum focus. 0.35m. Distance scale. Yes. Angle of View. 43.5 degrees (APS-C) Physical. Weight. 460g. Diameter. 63 mm. Length. 60 mm. Colour. Black. Zoom method. Rotary. Filter thread. 55 mm.

In the world of portraiture and photography these days it seems that two lens characteristics reign supreme above all else, bokeh and sharpness. As well, Fujifilm has two really solid 35mm lens offerings currently with their F1.4 and F2 options – so one might wonder why a lens like the [amazon_textlink asin=’B074RVKNS5′ text=’Mitakon 35mm F0.95 II’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c21b16ad-a239-11e7-8409-9758b581d48a’] is even a consideration. But after using the lens, it is pretty safe to say that it very much should be a consideration for all Fujifilm photographers.

35mm is a really popular focal length in the Fujifilm X-Series, given its ~50mm ff equivalent look. However, for those who really wanted a lens in the Fuji system with bokeh to drool over, one really had to look to the 56mm F1.2, a great lens, but one that is very limiting in tight spaces. This Mitakon makes that super dreamy bokeh and depth of field available at a more versatile focal length, and thanks to Fujifilm’s stellar manual focusing aides it’s still incredibly easy to work with.

Also major shout out to Kevin Kleitches for introducing me to this lens (check out his review) and getting me on the path to discovering this lens’s insane capabilities.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Ultrafast F0.95 aperture

Balances well with Fujifilm cameras

Adds a nice weight to Fuji cameras

Smooth accurate focusing ring

Cons

No Autofocus

Aperture ring is clickless, easy to move by accident

No electronic communication with the cameras

Gear Used

The [amazon_textlink asin=’B074RVKNS5′ text=’Mitakon 35mm F0.95 II’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c21b16ad-a239-11e7-8409-9758b581d48a’] lens was tested with the [amazon_textlink asin=’B01A8DUR74′ text=’Fujifilm X-Pro2′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’daf3b677-a239-11e7-85f1-c176541f3471′] with the latest firmware updates as of September 2017.

Tech Specs

Specs are taken from the ZY Optics Mitakon 35mm F0.95 Product Page:

Ergonomics

The Mitakon 35mm F0.95 II is a lens that fits well with the hands. When it is attached to the X-Pro2 it’s focusing ring is in a good spot to be easily turned without feeling like your fingers are overextended or scrunched. For being an F0.95 lens though, it is much smaller and lighter weight than I had been expecting.

One annoyance for me personally was that the aperture ring was located at the front of the lens. All other Fujifilm lenses have the aperture rings in the back, so having this one in the front was an adjustment. I got used to it, but it was quite annoying at first.

Build Quality

In terms of its build quality, the Mitakon 35mm F0.95 is all metal and all glass. You really can’t complain about the build of this lens at all, even when put up against the X-Pro2 itself the lens looks great and feels as if it is built every bit as good as the camera is.

It does not make use of a rubber focusing ring like many lenses are doing these days, instead opting to stick to the more traditional teethed metal ring approach – which I honestly prefer anyway.

Ease of Use

Being a manually focused lens, the [amazon_textlink asin=’B074RVKNS5′ text=’Mitakon 35mm F0.95 II’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c21b16ad-a239-11e7-8409-9758b581d48a’] is an absolute joy to use with one major exception. The lens focuses clearly and smoothly, but since the aperture ring is clickless and not very tight it is incredibly easy to accidentally move it and chang...

All images by Jason Bach. Used with permission.

“We live in a world where media & film censorship favors violence over the beauty of the naked form.” says photographer Jason Bach about how he got into intimate portraiture. “To me, its an appalling concept and should be reversed – we should be embracing and teaching younger generations that sexuality and nudity is natural and a much more positive representation of humanity than what violence offers.” You see, Jason isn’t one of those guys on the social interwebs using nudity to become Instafamous–he creates genuinely intimate, sensual and beautiful work.

Jason Bach is a wedding and commercial photographer who owns his studio The Photogenic Lab based in Denver, CO. He labels his distinctive style as “playful, innovative images that wrap stories into single moments.” Indeed, it makes a lot of sense. And when it comes to creating intimate scenes, he says that it’s all about the serious nature behind the work.

Phoblographer: Talk to us about how you got into photography.

Jason: It was an on again off again love affair beginning in my early childhood when my parents gave me my first Pentax film camera as a birthday present. I was always trying to take all the art classes, to the point that my high school made extra art class periods for me because I ran through them all by junior year high school. My first and only actual photography class was in high school and that was my introduction to film and processing prints. After that I had a gap where I studied computer science and let a career in that scratch my technical itch for a few years.

I fell back in love with photography after getting my hands on my brother’s old Nikon DSLR for a few weeks. It brought back this need to understand the principles and become creative again. I went back to school to get a MA in Media, Film, & Journalism at University of Denver, which led me down a career path in commercial video production, which taught me much about understanding light, how to look for it, and shape it if need be.

After working as a camera operator and DP for a bit, I turned my attention back to stills photography and decided to give weddings & lifestyle a go, but only if I could bring a more artistic non-traditional style to my creativity and client delivery. I founded The Photogenic Lab soon after.

Phoblographer: What made you attracted to creating intimate portraits?

Jason: Several reasons actually. We live in a world where media & film censorship favors violence over the beauty of the naked form. To me, it’s an appalling concept and should be reversed – we should be embracing and teaching younger generations that sexuality and nudity is natural and a much more positive representation of humanity than what violence offers.

However, I don’t want that to be confused with sexualizing the male or female form. I think one can admire the beauty of intimate display without overtly manifesting sexual desire for it. I love creating intimate portraits that can elicit either of these emotions from a viewer. Much of it also has to do with the subject and how they want to portray themselves as well.

Phoblographer: When you go about doing this work, what kind of prep do you do beforehand? Is there concept planning? What about locations?

Jason: Sometimes it’s not planned at all and totally spontaneous while other times every detail has been planned out for location, wardrobe, model, etc. I try and use the subjects house or a friend’s location if available. Lately I’ve been scouting on Airbnb for fun locations to use with owners permission of course. As for as concepts are concerned, it’s something I want to explore more of. For now, I’ve just been concentrating on my style and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

Phoblographer: This type of work obviously gives off a very intimate feel, so what elements and ideas are always in your head to ensure that that’s what comes through in the end result?

Jason: Normally when I shoot weddings an...

Years ago, Lomography introduced Lomography Earl Grey 100 black and white film and added yet another entry into a market looking for more 100 ISO black and white films. There are a few from Ilford, none from Kodak except for T-Max, one from Fujifilm and a few other manufacturers producing them. But slower ISO black and white films aren’t really spoken of except for Acros. Black and white ISO 100 films are great for studio and portraiture work but in many cases have the versatility to deliver great results when pushed.

Lomography’s Earl Grey 100 used to be an older emulsion of Kodak T-Max 100. But that’s changed over the years. It’s now a Fomapan emulsion. But in the end, who cares? All that matters is the results.

Gear Used

Lomography Earl Grey 100 black and white was tested with the Pentax 67, Leica CL and the Fujifilm GW690 III.

Tech Specs

Specs taken from Lomography’s listing page. Lomography kindly developed all film for this blog post.

Details

Capture high-resolution romantic scenes using Earl Grey 100 35mm. This film produces deep blacks, bright whites and soft shades of grey even under low-light conditions. Grab this film for outstanding black-and-white photos!

Technical Specifications

For use with 35mm cameras

ISO 100

B/W film

Additional Information

SKU f136bw3. Brand. Lomography. Development. Black and White Negative Processing. Film Type. B&W. ISO. 100. Exposures. 36. Pack Size. 3. Categories. Films, Film Bestsellers, Lomography Film, Lomography 35mm Film, 35mm Film , 35mm Black and White, Black & White Film, 35mm Black & White, Film Photography Day, 15% OFF on Lomography films, The Legendary World of the LCA, Little Treats, Festive Film Deal.

Ease of Use

Lomography Earl Grey 100 black and white film thankfully works sort of like a negative black and white film vs being a more chromogenic black and white film. For that reason, photographers who considering using it shouldn’t really be afraid of pushing or pulling their entire rolls. The more you push the roll, the more contrasty the appearance will be. Lots of photographers love the contrasty black and white film look. In fact, I’d load some of it into Lomography’s simple use cameras which will rate it at ISO 400 and just have fun. But the more light you give it at a specific setting, the less contrasty the film will be. Due to this nature of Lomography Earl Grey 100, portrait photographers may want to rate it at ISO 100 and street photographers will prefer it at ISO 400. The film already has a fair amount of grain, but still ends up looking great.

When using this film with a flash, you’ll get some of its true sharpness. Providing that you’ve got very sharp lenses on your camera, you’ll see how incredibly sharp this film is. But otherwise, you’ll get something a bit more soft though this surely isn’t the softest film I’ve seen.

Some of this review was done with expired Lomography Earl Grey 100kept in the freezer until I was ready to use it. The film still looks and performs great when it’s expired providing it’s well taken care of.

Comparison vs Other Black and White Films

Speaking from a tonality standpoint, Lomography Earl Grey 100 sort of looks like the old Kodak 400 BW CN. Let me show you what I mean with this film and many others.

Lomography Earl Grey 100

Kodak 400 BW CN

Kodak Tri-X 400

Fujifilm Acros 100

Ilford XP2 Super

Ilford HP5

Ilford Delta 100

Granted the old Kodak Films and Fujifilm’s emulsions are arguably sharper. But for me, that still doesn’t rule out what Lomography Earl Grey 100 is capable of doing.

Sample Images

Pentax 67

Leica CL

Fujifilm GW690 III

Conclusions

I genuinely like Lomography Earl Grey 100 black and white film. However, I’m more torn on whether I like it for street or portraiture more. Personally I’m leaning more towards portraiture. I consider Lomography Earl Grey 100 black and white film to be a great, in the middle film that can deliver a pretty cinematic look due to its tones. Think Citizen Kane, the movie and you’ll see what I ...

Having a black and white aesthetic can add a touch of class to boudoir photography.

When executed correctly, boudoir photography is one of the more polished and artistic genres within the field of photography. Shooting the work in black and white adds an extra layer of sophistication to it, making it extra appealing to those who view it. Of course, other components like strong lighting and an experienced model contribute to giving the imagery and extra edge. But being a master of the black and white look is going to push the photographs a little bit further than the rest. Thankfully, there are incredibly masterful photographers working today in black and white boudoir photography. We’re going to take a look at five of the best.

1. @miki.macovei

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The guest room in a new look and with a first guest. #bedtime #sensual #availablelight #highlights #curves #posing #finenudeart #uncovered #artisticphoto #bokehlicious #girlnextdoor #bootylover #fitgirl #bootypics #bnwphotography #bestoftheday #imageoftheday #impliedmagazine #russiangirl #babes #photographyislifee @boudoir.photography @sensuality_bnw @lionsmag @noirboudior

A post shared by Miki Macovei (@miki.macovei) on Jul 9, 2019 at 12:06am PDT

Miki is shooting boudoir photography out of Vienna, Austria. Although that’s his base, he often travels the globe doing his thing one frame at a time. His subtle boudoir images, which capture his subjects in a more natural pose, really caught our eye. We love his take on lighting, and enjoy how black and white goes well with the stripped-down set up of his scenes.

2. @shamelesslyraw

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#Monday #Motivation : #Sexy comes in all #shapes and #sizes. this week, make sure to be sexy in your way. . .. . .. #ShamelesslyRAW #maternityphotography #maternity #couple #couplesgoals #love #baby #pregnancy #pregnant #boudoirphotography #boudoir #intimacy #intimate #whynot

A post shared by Ottawa Boudoir Photographer (@shamelesslyraw) on Jun 10, 2019 at 5:59am PDT

Boudoir photography doesn’t always have to be about naked, beautiful women. Ottawa based photographer Miguel Lalonde knows this. Not afraid to tell a story, Lalonde is comfortable bringing expecting couples into the boudoir and showing the world a level of intimacy and bonding love that can be shared between two people. His project, Shamelessly Raw, has a deeper motive too. Lalonde wants to empower women because, as he says, “We’re always told that women should not feel sexy and flaunt it because they would be seen as unclassy.” Great work.

3. @troybflying_photography

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@myaspenrae #towelseries throwback from our last #denver shoot.

A post shared by Troybflying_photography (@troybflying_photography) on Dec 12, 2019 at 7:34pm PST

There’s a fine line between keeping things tasteful and pushing creative boundaries. Troy B knows exactly where that line is. His range of sultry images has made him a popular photographer, as he currently boasts 121 thousand followers on Instagram. We can see why, as Troy knows how to deliver something appealing, all while protecting the modesty of his subjects. When Troy isn’t creating his amazing boudoir photography, he can bound 35 thousand miles up in the sky flying commercial airplanes – he’s a seriously talented guy!

4. @rodneypedroza

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Como fotógrafos, siempre estamos detras de la cámara!! Fue por eso que @alejaestudios decidió que era hora de estar al frente de ella y más importante volver a conectar con alguien muy especial. Ella misma!!

A post shared by RODNEY PEDROZA (@rodneypedroza) on Dec 21, 2019 at 11:16am PST

Based in London, Rodney Pedroza is doing something rather special. He doesn’t often shoot your typical model. Instead, he works with women who don’t always have the confidence in themselves to get in front of the camera. But with Rodney’s style and skill, he ensures every woman he shoots leaves loving who they are. You can see the vulnerability in...

This time, I’d like to tell you about a very cool genre within portraiture: Cosplay Photography. If you’re not familiar with it, Cosplay is a HUGE cult inside geek culture where people make costumes and dress up as their favorite characters from comic books, movies, video games and more. You often see it at conventions like Comic Con, Dragon Con, Wonder Con, etc. People either buy costumes or work for a really long time putting them together. Lots of famous cosplayers have big Instagram and Facebook followings. Cosplay photography has a huge community and following all over the world and it’s a field of specialty in portraiture photography and graphic design. There are different levels of Cosplay photography, from simple portraits at comic conventions to sessions in studios or on location. Editing is a big thing with Cosplay photography as many photographers spend hours creating fantasy backgrounds, locations and effects to make the photos look more like the source of inspiration.

Cosplay photography is super cool and fun to get into but before I explain that, let me tell you how I got into geek culture.

It’s the mid-80s and I’m possibly living the happiest days of my life as a kid. I am being introduced to TV shows like Batman, Green Hornet, and Alf; I’m attending costume parties dressed as Batman and Spiderman; I have an awesome one-piece Superman pajama; I just turned 5 and I’m seeing Star Wars for the first time–I’m hooked for life on sci-fi and geek culture. For most of my youth, I was obsessed with comic books, cartoons, sci-fi novels and movies. If I wasn’t playing football, stick ball or hockey on the street, I’d be reading a comic or watching some of my favorite cartoons; but it all changed when, for my 13th birthday, I got an electric guitar. I swapped comic books for tab-books and toys for pedals and CDs, but that’s another story.

Nowadays. I consider myself a moderate geek or poser geek if you’d like to call it that. I don’t read comic books anymore, I don’t like video games, nor watched a single episode of Game of Thrones or what’s hot on TV, but I know what’s on and try to inform myself to see if I like something. I’m more into sci-fi and martial art movies now, and I keep up with what’s being produced. In fact, I spend a fair amount of time watching movies and memorizing stills and frames for photographic purposes, and I freaking love Star Wars!

This fascination is the inspiration source for this project I call THE ART of COSPLAY, where I make portraits of Cosplayers at comic-conventions with the most amazing costumes and try to replicate what I see in my head. It’s a two sided story – on one end I want to get an epic portrait of my favorite characters and on the other, I’m making a tribute to the Cosplayers and their effort put into the costume.

Let’s talk Cosplay Photography.

The Convergence of Geek Culture and Photography

As I mentioned in a previous article, I grew up as the only child in my family. I had to keep myself entertained, so besides going through old Life magazines that formed the basis of my photographic eye, comic book vignettes and movies frames shaped my creative eye. It wasn’t until I started to learn more about photography that I understood the similarities between a drawing and a photograph. Just like paintings, ALL artistic rules apply, like composition, rule of thirds, golden ratio, leading lines, colour palette, light and shadows to name a few. I learned a thing or two about portraiture most likely through comic books and movies. In fact, Cosplay was very helpful when I was determined to give it a go at making portraits. I thought if I could replicate the poses from my favorite characters, and frame my subjects just as they were on paper and film, then I could learn a lot about poses. The problem was getting the people in front of the lens, the people skills, etc.

Somehow, I found out about London Comic-Con, the biggest Cosplay event in Europe. It’s Cosplay heaven and everyone is dres...

All images by Kat Grudko. Used with permission.

“I think I have to go with a conductor of a small orchestra,” explains photographer Kat Grudko when describing her boudoir photography. “I feel like it is this big thing (in terms of how vulnerable the subject needs to be), but at the same time while I am shooting I am so zoned into every little detail of my subject that nothing else outside of that matters.” Kat is an ambassador for Profoto and is based in South Africa where she mostly shoots lifestyle work. On the side, she shoots boudoir. Ms. Grudko explains that she’s a sensitive person who believes most creatives need to tap into that part of themselves. It lets them create from a deeper and more genuine place. This, combined with the vulnerability on a boudoir shoot, are fascinating to us. So we asked Kat to dive deeper, discuss being an empath, and talk a little bit of the cosmos.

Please be sure to follow Kat on Twitter, Facebook, on Instagram, and to check out her website.

Kat Grudko

“Looking back I now feel like my camera gave me my confidence. With my camera in hand, I have had to learn how to get through a crowd of thousands of people at music festivals and take pictures of random people on the way.”

The Essential Photography Gear of Kat Grudko

Canon 5D Mk IV

Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art

Profoto B10 Plus

Kat Grudko tells us:

Currently I have a Canon 5D MK IV and I LOVE it! I started off with Nikon gear but switched over a few years ago because I had a few cameras in a row that I wasn’t happy with and there just wasn’t a Nikon camera at the time that met my needs. So I took the plunge and moved over to Canon 3 years ago now. I love the low light capability on the MK IV. It makes it easy to shoot in less than ideal lighting situations and still have quality images that look great and can handle a decent amount of post processing.

The lens that I use probably 80% of the time is my Sigma Art 24-70 f2.8. I love the versatility of it so it’s pretty much the only lens I need at this point. I am not a gear head at all. I feel like a good camera that does what you need it to do for your type of photography is essential, but I also feel like a great image is more about the team that you have on the day and the connection that you have with the model that makes great images. I also have a Sigma Art 85mm f1.4 but I find it limiting if you are shooting indoors and I can’t stand having to keep changing lenses so that is why the 24-70 is basically always on my camera.

For boudoir I try to use the natural light available in the room to make the images dramatic and moody. But I don’t always shoot in one place so sometimes the location that I am shooting in doesn’t have great light, which is where I use my Profoto D1’s. I have had them since 2012 and they have been a workhorse that have paid for themselves in that time. But I am in the process of working my way towards some Profoto B10 Plus’s. I tried one out earlier in the year and loved it! I have been based in Cape Town the last 3,5 years and I am now at the point where I need a battery operated light that I can take on location with me that is light and compact. I had a plan to do this in March and then Covid hit so it derailed my plans completely. But I will be getting a B10 Plus as soon as I can, especially with us in South Africa having load shedding for the last while, with no end in sight, I now need to invest in some battery operated lights so that I can shoot even through load shedding.

(Load shedding is something that has been implemented by our electricity supplier, Eskom. Our power stations have been poorly maintained for decades now and the result is that there is not enough electricity to meet demand so Eskom turns off the power to certain areas of the city at certain times of the day so that the power stations can keep running without blowing a substation).

Another thing that I use often is reflectors and scrims. Reflectors to bounce light when needed and a scrim to put on...

Are you a fan of boudoir photography? If yes, then you need to be following these photographers.

By the time you’ve finished this article, we’re confident you will be screaming at your screen, “How have they got less than 10k Instagram followers?” But as surprising as it is, these talented bunch of nude and boudoir photographers have yet to get over the 10k line. Hopefully, we can help them! So if you like the shape of the human body, get excited by authentic creativity, and are mesmerized by natural beauty, then we encourage you to keep reading!

Note: Check out Our Favorite Landscape Photographers with Under 10k Instagram Followers

1. Jamiya Wilson @jamiyawilsonstudio

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Jamiya is Phoblographer alumni. However, there’s no favoritism here. Don’t believe us? Just look at his work, and you will soon realize he is every bit deserving of being on this list. His nude photography oozes natural beauty. He understands the shape of the human form and gets how a photographer can utilize human flexibility to create a compelling photograph.

2. Martin Novoselski @martuneli

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Bulgarian photographer Martin Noboselski is producing a consistent style of boudoir photography. Shot low key, high contrast and filled with silhouette and dramatic shadow, his work is quite pleasing. There’s an elegance to his aesthetic, and while his portfolio is pretty thin we’re confident it will continue to grow – along with his follower count!

3. Kaitlin Kean @kkpboudoir

Here at the Phoblographer, we love diversity. We want to see a representation of all the varied people that walk this earth. It would seem Kaitlin wants this too, as her work is full of a wide range of people. And while her subjects come in different shapes and sizes, her work remains consistently amazing!

4. Vera Glass @veraglassimagery

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Vera Glass is a boudoir photographer who likes to create a story. She seems to easily be able to develop a relationship with her subjects, one that displays connectivity through emotion and togetherness. Her edits are nice and clean too. Everything about her portfolio says professional, and for that reason, more people need to rest their eyes on her boudoir photography.

5. Stacey Krolow @_noirstories

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Many people can be found guilty of thinking that the sensitivity and gentleness that come with boudoir photography is only reserved for women. Wrong. The male body and personality also belong in the world of boudoir photography. Stacey Krolow understands this and has made some beautiful photography with the help of the male muse. Her sometimes-unorthodox compositions work in her favor, as they really make the viewer stop and take notice.

6. Jorge Polio @studio.432

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There’s something special happening when we look at Jorge’s photographs. We are witnessing a pivotal moment. This is because you can feel and see that, when the shot is taken, his subjects understand they can be confident, sexy, beautiful, and elegant humans. We see their self-esteem grow through each frame. That’s a real talent for a boudoir photographer to have.

7. Angi @angivphotography

Boudoir photography can be as diverse as any other genre. It does not have to limit itself to nudity and sex appeal. In the bedroom, there are many scenarios where humans can portray their natural behaviors – just like this image above of a mother feeding her child. We’re delighted to see Angi’s understanding of this, as it makes her portfolio an excellent showcase of human behavior.

8. Bozeman Boudoir @bozemanboudoir

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This photographer’s subjects look like your everyday people who spring to life as soon as they get in front of the camera. Bozeman clearly understands posing, positioning, and how light can be your best friend when it comes to good boudoir photography. They also make the most of natural light where possible, giving their gallery more variety and...

Type. GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR. Lens configuration. 14 elements in 11 groups (includes 3 aspherical and 1 extra-low dispersion element and 1 super extra-low dispersion element) Focal length (35mm format equivalent) f=32-64mm (25-51mm) Angle of view. 81°-46.3° Max. aperture. F4. Min. aperture. F32. Aperture control. Focus range. 50cm – ∞(Wide), 60cm – ∞(Telephoto) Max. magnification. 0.12x. External dimensions : Diameter x Length (approx.) distance from camera lens mount flange. ø92.6mm×116mm(Wide)/145.5mm(Telephoto) Weight (approx.) excluding caps and hoods. 875g. Filter size. ø77mm. Accessories included. Lens Cap FLCP-77. Lens rear cap RLCP-002. Lens hood. Lens case.

Fans of the 24-70mm lens option will reach for the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR

Despite the fact that I have an eternal hatred of zoom lenses, I couldn’t stop reaching for the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens during my review period with it. It’s versatile for sure, and despite its slow aperture it allows a photographer to have a whole lot of focal lengths with a constant aperture without needing to go back and forth to change lenses. As it is, most of the GF lenses are pretty slow, so I don’t feel as bad using a lens like this. With what is essentially a 24-50mm f3 lens, you’re getting an option that will surely give you comparable depth of field equivalency when you compare it to a 24-70mm lens; but not with the light gathering abilities. And for some odd reason, I keep wondering whether or not the engineers have been considering this. Medium format is really geared towards using the cameras and lenses with off-camera flash. I mean, look at the ads on this website–they’re for editorial work!

Pros and Cons

Pros

Very versatile range

Close focusing

Weather sealing

Build Quality

Image quality is nice

Very sharp lens

Cons

Slow aperture

Slow focusing due to the Fujifilm GF system

Gear Used

We tested the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens with the Fujifilm GFX 50s and Flashpoint lighting.

Tech Specs

Specs for the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR taken from the Fujifilm Website

Number of blades : 9(rounded diaphragm opening)

Step size : 1/3EV (19 steps)

Ergonomics

The Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens is perhaps the GF system’s largest lens so far available on the market. As a professional oriented lens, it has a whole lot built in to appeal to a variety of professional photographers. For example, there is a big aperture ring on it. The aperture ring is towards the back of the lens with the zoom ring in front of that and the focusing ring yet again in front of that.

And as you can see, it’s mostly black.

When zoomed all the way in, the lens becomes around 1/3rd larger. That isn’t bad at all. But you need to remember that this is a large lens. I wouldn’t attach it to my camera and put it in a small compartment of my camera bag. In fact, you physically can’t.

The Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens has rings that are a plasticy rubber. They’re nicely textured and feel very solid.

Build Quality

Like the rest of the Fujifilm Gf lineup of glass, the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f4 R LM WR lens is weather sealed. The exterior is made of a hardened plastic that gets cold like metal and feels like metal. But it isn’t metal. If this lens were metal, it would be too heavy and no one would buy it. With that said, this lens survived a bit of snowfall. The mount has a rubber ring around it that prevents the effects of inclement weather to a point.

Ease of Use

Perhaps this is Fujifilm’s most complicated GF lens to use. It has a constant aperture, an aperture ring, and is a zoom. If you want aperture control via the camera a la Canon style, then you’ll need to set this lens to C mode. Personally speaking, I prefer the aperture dial and because I use it mostly in a staged environment that’s just fine. But if you need to use it for documentary style work where you don’t want your eye out of the viewfinder then set it to C mode.

Autofocus

Of all the Fujifilm GF lenses, this one had the leas...