Fashion and portrait photographer Andrew Barber puts the FUJIFILM GFX100S II through its paces at Paris Fashion Week
Andrew Barber cut his teeth making images of stylish subjects on the streets of London. His drive and unique style turned heads in the fashion industry, where he promptly began making a name for himself.
“I started off photographing individuals on Bond Street, Regent Street, and Oxford Circus. I would look for people with distinct styles – and within the space of one year, I’d got images of about 600 people. Someone working for a magazine saw my work and asked me to do a gig during London Fashion Week.”
Andrew seized his opportunity and has never looked back.
“I did one season, and the client loved the work. After that, I ended up working for GQ China for two or three years, then GQ Italy.
“It grew from there; I was predominantly known as a street-style photographer, but as time went on, I branched into backstage and catwalk photography. I found myself constantly going to the main fashion weeks – Paris, Milan, New York, and London.”
Recently, Andrew returned to Paris, armed with the FUJIFILM GFX100S II. Housing the vast image sensor and incredible photographic performance of the GFX System in a versatile, lightweight body, this camera is perfectly suited to Andrew’s unique combination of reactive acquisition and high-end presentation.
Think Fast
“I spent some time doing street-style photography outside various fashion shows throughout the city. I then went along the busy areas like Rue Saint-Honoré and Rue Cambon,” recalls Andrew. “When you’re going to a fashion event, street-style photography is even more dynamic. There’s so much going on – you have to look out for the security, you have to look out for cars, sometimes you’re in the middle of the street trying to get an image.
“There will be about 100 or 200 people coming out of a show venue so you need to carefully look and see who you want to photograph and whether you can tell a story from it.”
For such responsive image making, Andrew depends on snappy autofocus. Fortunately, the GFX100S II features the latest X-Processor 5, allowing the use of improved, AI-assisted AF tracking.
“I’d love to say I do everything manually, but I rely on AF; everything in fashion moves so quickly,” remarks Andrew. “You want to be able to create the perfect image within a small timeframe, so this tool is crucial. And the tracking on GFX100S II is incredible.”
“Burst mode is something I use a lot because, like I said, everything is so fast,” Andrew reaffirms. “The GFX100S II is able to shoot continuously at 7 frames per second, and when each photo is up to 102-megapixels, it means you have plenty of data to work with. With experience and skill, you can time your movement right and create that image perfectly.”
Astonishing Quality
When showcasing the latest styles, the devil is in the details.
“The things I look for are hidden prints, distinct cuts and shapes – statement messages on clothing,” Andrew enthuses. “Sometimes, my subject could be wearing something bold; I like to see the confidence someone has while wearing something like this.”
The incredible quality afforded by the GFX100S II’s 102-megapixel sensor means Andrew doesn’t miss a thing. “You definitely see the beauty within all the images you make,” he remarks. “Over the years a lot of people have said they love my way of creating – my street style, my backstage, my catwalk – but I only liked about 20% to 30% of what I did when using full-frame cameras.
“Ever since using the FUJIFILM GFX100S and now GFX100S II, I see the beauty within my work. Being able to crop into my images and still see them appear very sharp – you have so much more to play around with. You can manipulate your images in various ways without it breaking the file. It’s a beautiful camera to be using.”
Immersive Images
Whether outside or inside a venue, Andrew prefers to work with the lighting he finds, creating more immersive imagery.
“I choose not to use flash, even though it allows you to see the outfit and everything you want in your photographs. I like to make my viewers feel like they’re present, like they’re there in the moment,” Andrew explains. “I want everything to feel natural. So, if the backstage area has low lighting, that’s what I work with.”
Sacrificing consistent lighting for a more immersive look is a creative trade-off – though it requires a camera ready for anything. Offering up to 8.0 stops of in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), the GFX100S II can happily make this claim.
“When making images in low light, I need to work with a longer shutter speed to compensate. This often happens when working backstage or doing catwalk photography, so the IBIS helps, allowing me to compose my images and ensure I’m not getting any camera shake.
“I don’t use a monopod; I like to be able to play around freely with my composition and track the movement of the subjects. Stabilisation is key, because I find myself in tight positions, with my hand constantly moving.”
Light Heavyweight
For Andrew, the final piece of the puzzle is fitting all of these features into a camera of a manageable size and weight.
“Every little helps – what can I say?” he comments. “In one day, I work from nine in the morning to about seven in the evening. Holding a camera for that long can be exhausting, especially when you add the weight of an additional lens.”
Weighing only 886g and measuring 150x104x87mm, the GFX100S II is a manageable size for Andrew’s needs.
“Being able to walk around with a camera, feeling like I’m able to compose whenever it’s necessary, is important. You never know when something will happen, and you want to photograph that moment with ease. I don’t like to faff around with a backpack, take my lenses out, and set everything up. I love making photos in the moment – as soon as I see something.”
So, does GFX100S II walk the walk? “The project has been absolutely amazing – I’ve loved using the camera,” Andrew confirms. “I would have liked the opportunity to use something like this back when I first started; you see the beauty within your images.
“The quality is so good that there are many ways of cropping in and re-editing the photographs – just playing around with them. Ultimately, you want to have a camera that’s fun to use.”
