![\"A](\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Ines-Thomsen-3-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T2 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1\/250 sec at F5.6, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
People were an immediate appeal for Ines. She began creating images at every opportunity, then took a short course to learn a more technical approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was blown away,\u201d she recalls. \u201cA friend I\u2019d met through photography told me about an even longer course lasting four semesters. I\u2019m so grateful she pushed me into it. After three semesters, I had to decide whether to continue studying or follow a number of jobs I\u2019d been offered. I went for the jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fuelled by a desire for connection, Ines soon discovered FUJIFILM X Series<\/a>, which stripped down previous barriers between her and the people on the other side of the lens.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t work with huge DSLRs any more. It just wasn\u2019t fun,\u201d Ines explains. \u201cI got my hands on the FUJIFILM X-T1 back in 2016 and immediately realised the freedom I\u2019d got back. It changed my approach to photography completely and opened up so many new perspectives.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my work, the most important thing is the interaction with the model in front of me \u2013creating portraits comes naturally as soon as a person trusts you. X Series plays a big role in that. The technical part just has to work \u2013 and it does. I can rely on my equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR, 1\/160 sec at F2.5, ISO 320<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In seeing Ines\u2019s seemingly boundless charisma, it seems more apparent than ever that connection is an innate skill \u2013 present, or not, by luck of the draw. At least in the context of portrait photography, however, Ines disagrees. Through dedication to the craft and persistent practice, the ability to make a subject unfurl can be harnessed by all.<\/p>\n \u201cI always make time to create a nice atmosphere for people,\u201d the photographer acknowledges. \u201cMy studio is more like a living room, with a couch and lots of natural light. And compliments are important \u2013 but real, meaningful ones. Let people know what you admire about them, and when it comes from a genuine place, they\u2019ll believe it.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, don\u2019t start photographing immediately. Wait. Talk to your subject. Try to work out their interests. Once you hit upon something personal, now you\u2019re in an exchange, and you immediately see their posture relax and their expression brighten.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the camera does come out, I always let subjects stay seated. Unless they\u2019re a trained model, people don\u2019t know how to pose or what to do with their hands. Throughout, I tell them what I\u2019m doing: how I\u2019m setting the lights or what changes I\u2019m making on the camera. When I\u2019m not actively taking pictures, I don\u2019t point a lens at people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR, 1\/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 400<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Visually, Ines\u2019s portraits are a reflection of their creation. Facades are washed away and the revealing look at the individual in frame is presented simply, beautifully and in deserving detail. Close, uncluttered compositions are met most often with soft, even light.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first light I set up is always flattering,\u201d Ines explains, \u201cnever hard light. Using a soft source from the front eliminates any risk. If you create too bold a look early on, there\u2019s a chance your subject may not like the way they appear, and if that happens early, the trust is hard to recover. Try available light from a window with a white mesh curtain, or an artificial source with a softbox.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the subject is most important to me, I try not to frame a lot of distractions around them,\u201d Ines continues. \u201cDetails in a composition can be nice, but in portrait photography, as soon as they detract from the person, it doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n \u201cOne other technique is to ask someone how they take a selfie. When they show me, it\u2019s great, because now I know their favourite side and perspective. That can inform your composition and lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T4 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1\/160 sec at F4.5, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For many portrait photographers, a suite of artificial light sources is a must for creating elaborate looks and achieving full control over a scene. Expert as she is in portrait photography lighting tools, Ines prefers to acknowledge practical advantages while assuring that arresting results aren\u2019t contingent on kit.<\/p>\n \u201cProfessionally, if you want to take pictures at any time \u2013 say if a customer needs to sit for business portraits at night because they\u2019re busy during the day \u2013 you can\u2019t do that naturally. Continuous lights or strobes also help you create a completely uniform set of pictures. But I feel it\u2019s more important to understand the qualities of light. When you understand light as a concept, you can work with any source.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1\/250 sec at F1.2, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ines\u2019s approach to camera and lens selection for portraiture is comparably simple. Beyond the practical benefits of X Series\u2019 compact design, she looks to the supreme 40-megapixel resolving and in-camera look adjustments of the FUJIFILM X-T5<\/a> \u2013 perfect for portraits.<\/p>\n \u201cI always make pictures the way they\u2019re supposed to look,\u201d she notes. \u201cA photo intended to be monochrome would look very different photographed in colour pre-edit, and that\u2019s not what I want a customer to see. The ACROS+Y Film Simulation is my go-to for black & white portrait photography. For colour, I love CLASSIC CHROME.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Photo 2023 \u00a9 Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T4 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1\/200 sec at F5.6, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe other thing I appreciate about the X-T5 is how much it steadies my process. I don\u2019t fire off 120 frames and trust one is going to be fine \u2013 it\u2019s not my way of working. This is an incredibly fast camera, but when I want to, I can take the time and care to adjust all my settings in a tactile way.\u201d<\/p>\n With plenty of well-equipped portrait lenses to choose from within X Series, Ines has settled on a mix of old and new.<\/p>\n \u201cMy preferred portrait lens is the FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD<\/a>. It\u2019s funny \u2013 I was so in love with it for so long that I never thought about anything newer. Then I got my hands on the FUJINON XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR<\/a> and it was a revelation. The autofocus was so fast and the optical development was incredible. Today, I enjoy working with both.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ines\u2019s final thoughts concern \u2013 in typical fashion \u2013 those around her. Not subjects, but collaborators. In a predominantly solo endeavour, she urges photographers to find specialists in the broader workflow.<\/p>\n \u201cOther professionals are so valuable,\u201d she concludes. \u201cI work with the same two post-production and makeup artists. I can do those, but I\u2019m not good at them. Were I to try, the overall quality of the photographs would never be the same.<\/p>\n \u201cAsk yourself, what\u2019s your absolute passion? Don\u2019t waste time on anything but your dream,\u201d Ines adds, leaving a thought for us to ponder as fellow photographers.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ines Thomsen\u2019s portrait photography transcends mere visual aesthetic. Through the window of the FUJIFILM X-T5, she peers into her subjects\u2019 hidden depths Far more than any other genre, portrait photography is an opportunity for intimate interaction. Coming face to face with complex, living subjects, photographers invested in this unique imaging pursuit must navigate these figurative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":66332,"template":"","category":[2084,1006,1202,1055,13039,3211,13040,3309,320,3162,1986,565,7180,8307,7817],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-66331","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-be-inspired","category-cameras","category-category","category-lenses","category-mirrorless-digital-cameras","category-x-series-mirrorless","category-prime-lenses","category-x-mount-prime","category-products","category-x-mount","category-x-series","category-stories","category-x-t5","category-xf33mmf14-r-lm-wr","category-xf56mmf12-r-apd"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-04 01:29:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/66331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=66331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=66331"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/fr-ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=66331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\nHow to Connect With Portrait Subjects<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPortrait Photography Lighting and Composition<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThe Best Camera and Lens for Portrait Photography<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n