Fujifilm X-T1 workshop in Oslo

A couple of months ago, I was asked by Fujifilm Nordic to teach an X-T1 workshop in Oslo. The workshop was an offering to customers having bought the X-T1 at the FotoVideo camerastore in the period of april to may. I love sharing knowledge and talk about photography, and I've also grown very fond of the X-T1, so how could I say no!

Together with Fujifilm Nordic, I had prepared an 8 hour workshop with theory, inspiration and hands-on photography. Torstein Bøe from Fujifilm Nordic joined me to answer questions related to products and equipment. He also had quite a few lenses that the participants where free to try if they wanted to. I also wanted to give the participants a walkthrough of buttons and settings on the X-T1. Share what I have learned about the X-T1 by using it for for personal stuff and commercial assignments in the last few months. Several of the participants had used the camera quite a lot, and had lots to share, so this was rewarding for all of us.

After a thorough walkthrough of camera settings, we went out into sunny Oslo to shoot some pictures. It can't all be buttons and settings! Great pictures is what this whole thing is all about, no matter what kind of equipment you use.

Outside we talked about finding exciting locations, using lines, reflections, play with light and shadow, create depth and lots of other cool stuff. I promised to show them the most beautiful light in all of Oslo, and when I led them into a tunnel with lots of traffic by a firestation, I think they where quite surprised... I guess none of the participants had expected to spend a nice sunny saturday in a dark, noisy tunnel, but it's always a pleasure to surprise.

And this tunnel gave us a lot. Not just beautiful light and rough, urban backgrounds for exciting portraits, but also varied elements to use in a composition. Tunnels and entryways can be your best friend when you want to control the light, for instance when shooting portraits.

It was great fun watching how excited the participants got, and many of them started talking to strangers, asking to borrow them as a model for a few minutes. This might have been because I gave them an assigment, and we decided to have a photo competition with some prices. The theme was open, but there had to be a human element in the picture.

Back in the teaching room we looked at pictures, and Torstein and I agreed upon three winners that each got my book "The Joy of Photography - how to take better pictures", and one of those three also received a gift card to make her own photobook. The winning image was a beauuutiful portrait of a little girl that was more than happy to act as our model while she was out walking with her father. And such a lovely picture is a reward in itself both for the photographer and the model.

I've taught loads of photographic courses and workshops through the years, and I must say I'm tempted to do a re-run of a dedicated Fujifilm X-T1 workshop. We'll see what the future brings...