FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR: Making the Story Number One

4 minute read

Making the Story Number One

Professional hybrid image maker, Giulio Meliani, uses FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR prime lens to make a short film about the painter, Therese Verner, who is legally blind. His project highlights the importance of having a story when creating art

Giulio has been fascinated with image making since he was a child, and after beginning his journey in stills photography, it wasn’t long before he expanded into video, ultimately establishing himself as a professional hybrid creator. He has worked on a wide range of diversified projects throughout his career, but they have all started with one commonality: the story.

“Even though I love reading, I’m not really great with words. When I found out I could tell a story either through photographs or film while also artistically expressing myself, that really got me. The story must come first in any project I do,” explains Giulio.

Therefore, when we approached him about creating a short film using XF50mmF1.0 R WR, he knew that he wanted to do more than just test the lens; he wanted to create something beautiful. “That number one really intrigued me and I started developing a concept around it. What if I filmed something about one subject, with a single light source, one camera, one lens, one aperture (F1, obviously), and all by myself?”

With his concept in the bag, the next step was to find his story. “When you have such a great and unique piece of equipment like this lens, it’s easy to only focus on what it does – which is surely amazing – but I had to do something else with it,” he tells us.

“Long story short, after thinking about tons of different possibilities and talking to a few really good creative friends, I came across Therese Verner, a legally blind painter who lives in LA. I fell in love with her art and story. I love the fact that art is her way of coping with her blindness and how she expresses herself through her paintings,” he enthuses.

Giulio tells us that, when selecting a lens for a project, his goal is to achieve a unique look. He believes that a lens plays a huge part in creating an atmosphere – and XF50mmF1.0 fitted that profile perfectly. “A lens carries the feel of the image. It helps the director and DOP to express the mood they want to deliver to the viewer,” he explains.

“Since I was filming pretty much exclusively in low light (intentionally), I wanted to be able to use XF50mmF1.0 wide open, and its sharpness really impressed me, even at F1.0. Not to mention the ability to separate the subject from the background, which is beautifully rendered,” he continues. “It definitely adds an interesting, dreamy feel to my FUJIFILM X Series cameras, I can’t wait to make some portraits with it. The image separation is just stunning.”

Another aspect of the lens that Giulio highlighted was its portable, lightweight design, despite its superfast F1.0 aperture. “Considering how fast it is, I love the fact that the lens is really compact. That makes it easier to carry it around and film handheld like I did.”

All things considered, Giulio tells us that he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend XF50mmF1.0. “Paired with my FUJIFILM X-T4 camera and its amazing IBIS, it is definitely a very unique and compact gear setup. Image rendering is just stunning, and I really like how it handles flare as well. This lens would be a great asset to any wedding and editorial image maker,” he concludes.

When it comes to his project, Giulio hopes that he can show the importance of making images with meaning and inspire storytellers around the world. “I truly hope people see this short film as a homage to art. As photographers, we focus so much on the importance of light. Not only that, we pretty much adore it as if light was some kind of divine entity. There’s nothing wrong with that, but what if we take light out of the equation? I hope we end up with art, as simple and obvious as it sounds.”

The XF50mmF1.0 R WR is now available at your nearest FUJIFILM Authorized Dealer. Learn more and read the full specifications here.

Learn more about Giulio’s creative process with this exclusive behind-the-scenes video!

All artwork included in this content is under the copyright of Therese Verner.


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