Making Way for What Matters

5 minute read

Making Way for What Matters

Petronella Lugemwa talks to us about the importance of forgetting about your camera to concentrate on what matters, and how FUJIFILM X-S10 paired with XF50mmF2 R WR helped her achieve this.

When Petronella Lugemwa, a photographer specializing in multicultural weddings, is making images of a couple’s big day, she has a lot on her mind. She wants to ensure she is always ready to memorialize that perfect moment because she understands that the images she makes will be treasured by the couple’s family for generations, and feels a personal responsibility to ensure their love is properly represented.

“I take photos, because I love people,” says Petronella. “I specifically like to work with multicultural couples, because they spend a lot of their lives and a lot of their time trying to fit into a world that doesn’t readily accept them. So, I just want to celebrate them and say that your love, who you are, is so beautiful.”

Wedding photographer, Petronella Lugemwa tests FUJIFILM X-S10. Image shows a couple embracing silhouetted against a city skyline at sunset

Photo © Petronella Lugemwa | FUJIFILM X-S10 camera and XF50mmF2 R WR lens, 1/200 sec at F2.8, ISO 500

For Petronella, it is all about encapsulating the personality of the wedding – the nuances of the day that make it unique. She believes wedding photographs should convey the couple’s story and, in order for her to tell that story accurately, she takes the time to develop a personal connection with them.

Once this relationship has been built, the last thing Petronella wants is for her camera to become a barrier. She needs it to get out of her way, so she can focus her mind on what matters. “Multicultural weddings are just so fast-paced and there is so much going on. So, I need a camera that can react quickly,” she says. “I also need it to allow me to concentrate more on my subject, rather than fiddling back and forth with settings.”

In that respect, she found X-S10 to be the perfect tool. “It’s a game changer, because it allows me to focus on being in the moment with the subject and be more creative without worrying about the weight of the camera or its technical capabilities. It doesn’t require much thinking to shoot with X-S10.”

This reliability and ease of use translates to all forms of photography on the move, especially documentary. Much like making candid photographs at a wedding reception, a huge aspect of documentary photography is preserving natural, genuine moments that often happen in a split second, but come together to tell a much bigger story. So, having a camera that makes it easy for the photographer to concentrate on the scene in front of them is extremely important.

Petronella wanted to test X-S10 in this kind of completely unscripted environment, so she paired it with XF50mmF2 R WR and went on a photo walk around Central Park in New York City. Her aim was to make a number of images that showed the uncharacteristic emptiness of the area during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also that it was still possible to find some light.

Wedding photographer, Petronella Lugemwa tests FUJIFILM X-S10. Image shows a street musician playing in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade, silhoutedded against the light reflecting on the stone floor.

Photo © Petronella Lugemwa | FUJIFILM X-S10 camera and XF50mmF2 R WR lens, 1/160 sec at F4, ISO 200

This message was summed up by the above image in particular, which shows a street musician at the Bethesda Terrace Arcade. “Central Park is usually bustling with a lot of people,” she explains, “but there was just this guy there playing, with the light coming in. And my interpretation was that it was as if his music is bringing light in this period of darkness and sadness, so I wanted to share that.”

As Petronella explored the camera, it became clear X-S10 would make an excellent addition to her bag. She tells us that the speed and accuracy of the autofocus was a great asset, helping her avoid overshooting and easing her workflow.

“I move around a lot when making images and I have a lot going on in my mind, so I need to be able to say to a camera: this is what I need you to do, do it,” she explains. “With X-S10, I moved faster. I would see something, I’d be like, this is what I want, I would get it, and I’d keep on. That made my life easier not only on the day, but in the back-end processing the images.”

After recently moving to Fujifilm’s mirrorless gear from a DSLR setup, Petronella loved the fact that she could select electronic shutter (ES) mode and make images in complete silence. It was another feature of X-S10 that helped her, and her subjects, forget about the camera. “I’m always looking for somebody to be authentically themselves. But when people hear that click of a shutter, they know the camera’s going and are not as relaxed,” she says. “As soon as they stop hearing that sound, you get that beautiful, natural smile as they continue to just be themselves.

She also praises the performance of the back-side illuminated 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, particularly in low light. “I shot one of the sessions right at dusk, just as the sun was going down and I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how far I can push it,” says Petronella. “When I pulled up the detail it wasn’t grainy, it was beautiful and I was like, ‘these are just JPEGs!’ So that made me happy. For something so small and lightweight, it’s unexpectedly impactful and powerful.”

Overall for Petronella, X-S10’s compact size, intuitive controls, and great performance make it easy for her to convey the true atmosphere of a scene and this makes it a camera that’s easy for her to love.

She concludes by telling us that many of her friends have not yet switched to FUJIFILM because they are worried it might be too much of a departure from the setup they are used to. But Petronella believes that X-S10’s simplified dials, easy menus and comfortable handgrip make it the perfect opportunity for them to share in her delight.

“It’s the best of all worlds. I can’t wait to tell my friends because this is going to change everything,” she enthuses.

FUJIFILM X-S10 is coming soon to your nearest FUJIFILM Authorized Dealer. Learn more and read the full specifications here.


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