The staged photography of Jan van der Horn...
Nivo Schweitzer, the specialist camera retailer in Amsterdam, let me test the new Fujifilm GFX 100S. He knew what he was getting into: he never got it back. That is how enthusiastic this camera made me.
This truly is a powerhouse of a mirrorless digital medium-format camera. “Those GFX cameras have a beautiful form factor,” says Bas Schweitzer. “Fujifilm medium format is only slightly larger than small format, but offers 70% more sensor output.” He knows what he is talking about.
It feels as if I am sitting at a Steinway grand piano in the Concertgebouw, with the photographic equivalent of a 48-track audio recorder—except now I am working with the FujiFilm GFX 100S and a Fujinon GF 80mm F 1.7 WR. The result is rich color depth and excellent dynamic range in both highlights and shadows.
The secret of photography is light, continuous and flash
I work in my studio as it gradually becomes a full photo studio. I build light into the set, often using LED lights that can be filtered because they do not become hot. I also use bicycle lights, which can be dimmed very precisely. The secret of photography is light—continuous light and flash—and especially Broncolor generators, the true Swiss workhorses.
I often use a 1-second exposure, yet the model remains razor-sharp because one Broncolor generator is set to 1/2000 second. Exposure continues after the flash, bringing a sense of magic to the image. I repeat that concept frame after frame, gradually increasing the Broncolor power. Then the files go into the computer and the truth comes to light.
Everything came together during the shoot: model, light and shutter speed converged in a magical moment, frozen within a one-second exposure. The fairy tale was captured by the Fujifilm GFX 100S. Later, after calm had returned to the studio, it was time to choose the final images. Deep into the night, I converted the RAF files from RAW to TIFF from that RAF file. There is still space in the signal everywhere, there is still color depth everywhere...
A small step for humanity, perhaps, but a major step for professional photographers: Fujifilm’s GFX 100/50 digital medium-format system.
The installation of four elves by Jan van der Horn was shown until November 6 at De VerbroederIJ, Johan van Hasseltweg 21 in Amsterdam-Noord.
The elves then moved from Amsterdam-Noord to the city center, appearing in the window of Scheltema bookstore at Rokin 9 from November 6 to December 6.
The series can also be viewed in the new year at Galerie Casa Luna on the Leliegracht in Amsterdam.
© Jan van der Horn, Amsterdam 2022 / www.janvanderhorn.com
