{"id":65137,"date":"2022-08-12T14:23:20","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T05:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4205801"},"modified":"2024-05-02T00:18:19","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:18:19","slug":"ecstatic-truths","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/stories\/ecstatic-truths\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecstatic Truths"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7gH5bgGgjWg\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h5>For David Geffin, the honest and the manufactured are intimately linked \u2013 and there\u2019s magic in the way these worlds connect<\/h5>\n<p>David Geffin\u2019s portfolio is an impressively realized collection of photo and film. Awash with a wealth of styles and genres, it\u2019s tied together with startling precision and beautifully conceptual designs. Peruse these pieces and you\u2019ll encounter gorgeous fashion editorials, somber black &amp; white street snaps, branded commercial work, and remarkable portraiture. It\u2019s a dramatic anthology that spans the course of ten years, brimming with content that only an unfettered passion could create. Defining a primary approach proves tricky when dealing with such an assortment, but as we settle into an early evening Zoom call, an eloquent synopsis kick-starts the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCandid beauty,\u201d David remarks. \u201cThat\u2019s what I always aim for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Heading up behind-the-scenes videos for our recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/products\/cameras\/x-h2s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">X-H2S<\/a> launch, David worked tirelessly to deliver an insider\u2019s glimpse into the nuts-and-bolts tenets of a typical Fujifilm project. Part-documentarian, part-DP \u2013 he\u2019s an adept practitioner, but professional concerns aren\u2019t the only things that stir and motivate this talented cineaste.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would categorize myself as a cinematographer \u2013 that\u2019s largely what I do,\u201d he clarifies. \u201cBut I\u2019m also an avid stills photographer. Most of my work has been defined by that crossover.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0792.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0792.jpg\" alt=\"A man trains his camera on a man writing at a table\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Michael Bulbenko | FUJIFILM X-T4 and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/50 sec at F4, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3071.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3071.jpg\" alt=\"A masked man looks up from his camera rig\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 John Haggerty | FUJIFILM X-T4 and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/450 sec at F2.8, ISO 2000<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cThese days, I\u2019m largely focused on video productions, highlighting the creativity of certain Fujifilm talent, and how new tools can facilitate and unlock potential. I want to tell stories, and get to the heart of their emotionality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the past decade, a substantial chunk of David\u2019s time has been concentrated in the fashion world. Documenting esteemed events and luxurious catwalks, he\u2019s produced a breadth of high-end commercials, mesmeric in their implementation. On first glance, the imagery seizes \u2013 but peel back the superficial veneer and you\u2019re left with the crux of David\u2019s true objectives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m trying to find what lies beneath. I worked with those models to elicit genuine emotion \u2013 whether that\u2019s laughter, flirtation, fun. Conceptualizing authentic frames is what I really enjoy. It\u2019s why I entered this business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Referring to his New York start-up, David\u2019s company is a successful enterprise in its own right, but ten years ago, the picture wasn\u2019t so clear.<\/p>\n<p>Following a year-long sabbatical from his London-based consulting firm, David decided to incorporate Geffin Media \u2013 a modest brainchild he\u2019d been kicking around for a long time \u2013 on a whim. Traveling across the world with his then-wife, he observed a lack of fulfilment from the corporate world, and how a dearth of artistic engagement had stifled his true calling.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3108.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3108.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a white shirt handles a camera rig on a film set\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 John Haggerty | FUJIFILM X-H2S and XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/480 sec at F2.8, ISO 2500<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3131.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF3131.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a white shirt handles a camera rig on a film set\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 John Haggerty | FUJIFILM X-H2S and XF18-120mmF4 LM PZ WR, 1\/70 sec at F4, ISO 2500<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cUntil that point, my professional life had never been about the creative industries,\u201d he remembers. \u201cThat year of backpacking allowed me to properly evaluate where I was headed. For all the clich\u00e9s people associate with America, the \u2018land of opportunity\u2019 was a stereotype that proved true in my case. I was supercharged with this idea of setting up a photography and video production business, and it was here that I eventually found it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What began in a cramped Queens bedroom has transformed into a fully realized ambition. In a career of creative peaks and achievements, helming components of this X-H2S rollout was yet another highlight in David\u2019s growing roster of accomplishments. A range of exciting creatives were recorded as they fashioned a hodgepodge of photo and video projects, logged by the watchful eye of David\u2019s ever-present lens.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so grateful that I got to connect with such an amazing bunch. We\u2019ve crafted something that\u2019s meaningful, shining a light on those photographers and filmmakers who are emerging, yet haven\u2019t had many opportunities to demonstrate their voices. Raising people up \u2013 that\u2019s the goal. Underdog stories\u2026 I think they resonate with me most, because of how far I\u2019ve come.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><p>Studiously constructed, X-H2S focuses the mind \u2013 fostering a deliberateness that relies on instinctive thinking. Compelled to intuit events in fractions of a second, David found himself deliberating why he creates images the way he does. This was a fantastic opportunity to figure out a question that had plagued and troubled him: just what exactly defined his style of featurette filmmaking, and would it perform in this context?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was contacted by Fujifilm\u2019s Electronic Imaging Division last year. We spoke extensively about this release schedule, and the best way to manage the BTS materials. I was nervous, but I think that was just a demonstration of how much I cared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe agreed on an emotion-first approach\u2026 constructing the films around nuanced interplay. It had to be humanistic, and the narratives had to come first. It was here that I started thinking back to some of my earliest inspirations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0981.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A man in a raincoat aims his camera at something out of frame\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Stambaugh-John-X-H2S-XF16-55F2.8-Oregon-Coast-1413.jpg?width=581&#038;height=363\" alt=\"A man stands with a camera in a dusty field\" width=\"581\" height=\"363\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><p>\u201cAs a youngster, I\u2019d watch movies, wondering what it would be like to get involved in building them. That was my dream \u2013 working in the visual medium, particularly with regards to filmmaking.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteven Spielberg was massive at the time. ET moved me to tears, and Jaws had such a visceral impact on my life. Being drawn into that story-centric, emotive universe was something I really enjoyed. Now, I\u2019m the one eliciting responses for an audience, but creating the same sensations that roused my childhood self, all the way back then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>X-H2S may be a hybrid camera, but its motion capabilities take precedent. Video is its most integral functionality, so this body was perfectly suited for David\u2019s film-first interests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing able to create various flavors of internal ProRes is crazy \u2013 especially for such a small, mirrorless rig. I did all of the color grading for these videos in Resolve, and the dynamic range was really impressive,\u201d he says. \u201cI didn\u2019t run any noise reduction whatsoever. I just didn\u2019t think we needed to \u2013 even in low light.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe color science is insane, as are the 14.5 stops with F-Log 2. You end up with these amazing, high-quality pictures. It\u2019s a misconception to think that you\u2019ll need to engage in extensive post-production. You just have to make sure you\u2019re exposing for shadows. The X-H2S is very filmic in that sense.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cAll in all, it\u2019s just a beautiful system. The condition of the image is fantastic, and when you pair that with good glass, it\u2019s honestly superb.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0797.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0797.jpg\" alt=\"A group of three men set up a camera shot on a road\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Michael Bulbenko | FUJIFILM X-T4 and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/400 sec at F4, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0787.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/DSCF0787.jpg\" alt=\"A man points a camera at another man in a wooden kitchen\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Michael Bulbenko | FUJIFILM X-T4 and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/50 sec at F4, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/products\/lenses\/mkx18-55mmt29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MKX 18-55mm<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/products\/lenses\/mkx50-135mmt29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MKX 50-135mm<\/a>, an improved rolling shutter made all the difference when operating in fast-paced environments, as did superior AF resources. Incessantly moving into different positions, David needed a system to allay his technical worries, but also enable the application of what mattered most: the implementation of his original vision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou want equipment that will do the heavy lifting for you, especially if you\u2019re a solo operator on the move. It\u2019s incredibly important, because it permits you to focus on what really counts \u2013 your artistic intentions. With this camera, there\u2019s less of that jello effect when panning about in quick spurts. The autofocus is also really good. I didn\u2019t detect any blurriness, or loss of overall quality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t often use telephoto or wider zooms, but these lenses are fantastic. They gave us comprehensive coverage for absolutely everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Filmmaking is subjectivity. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s fiction or documentary \u2013 the imprint of the artist is lastingly cast in the structure. In his 2010 essay, \u2018On the Absolute, the Sublime, and Ecstatic Truth\u2019, famed director Werner Herzog berated those bothered with \u2018objective\u2019 styles of documentary. For him, such a concept doesn\u2019t exist. Instead, a superior method endures \u2013 one just as exciting and enthralling as the likes of David Geffin\u2019s beloved blockbuster heroes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe director or creator is coming from a particular place, even when it\u2019s a light touch,\u201d David concludes. \u201cLike Herzog said, why shouldn\u2019t this format pull on the heartstrings, or evoke emotion? That was my goal here, and it was X-H2S that helped me realize it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Stambaugh-John-X-H2S-XF16-55F2.8-Oregon-Coast-1420.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Stambaugh-John-X-H2S-XF16-55F2.8-Oregon-Coast-1420.jpg\" alt=\"A man stands in a dusty field with a camera\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 John Stambaugh | FUJIFILM X-H2S and XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/100 sec at F2.8, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For David Geffin, the honest and the manufactured are intimately linked \u2013 and there\u2019s magic in the way these worlds connect David Geffin\u2019s portfolio is an impressively realized collection of photo and film. Awash with a wealth of styles and genres, it\u2019s tied together with startling precision and beautifully conceptual designs. Peruse these pieces and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":65138,"template":"","category":[2084,1006,1202,3456,1055,13039,3211,11198,11149,320,3162,1986,565,7082],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-65137","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-be-inspired","category-cameras","category-category","category-x-mount-cine","category-lenses","category-mirrorless-digital-cameras","category-x-series-mirrorless","category-mkx18-55mmt29","category-mkx50-135mmt29","category-products","category-x-mount","category-x-series","category-stories","category-x-h2s"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"fujifilm_category_label":"X-H2S","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-14 22:16:30","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/65137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=65137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=65137"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fi-fi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=65137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}