GFX100S II and GF500mmF5.6: Sports photography x Russell Ord

2024.05.16

Written by... Russell Ord

On his path to becoming an internationally acclaimed photographer, Russell Ord has squinted down the lens at an intriguing mix of subjects over the years. He’s shot magazine covers of world-class surfers and helped deify celebrity chefs. He’s roamed with Uunguu Rangers in the Australian outback, island-hopped across tropical fantasylands and followed his photographic instincts through urban meccas. Meanwhile, his ocean images are celebrated for simultaneously implying the cruelty and majesty of the sea.

As one of the world’s leading surf photographers, Russ’s unique talents culminated in his documentation of a violent twist of Indian Ocean known simply as ‘The Right’. In pursuit of a unique, career-defining angle, Russ put himself in a situation where the ocean’s most powerful forces converge. The hard-won image served as the focal point for his celebrated documentary, ‘One Shot’.

While he remains a passionate and astute chronicler of the ocean’s moods, Russ suggests that evolving and diversifying is the key to a long and stimulating photographic career. “I realised very quickly if I wanted to keep working as a photographer I would have to develop other skills. Most of my work now revolves around capturing people’s stories, along with tourism and brand work.”

While professionally driven, Russ is very much the type of person who thrives on the opportunity to share his extensive knowledge. “It just about works in reverse,” he states. “By sharing my experience/knowledge, it inspires me to pick up the camera and shoot for the enjoyment. Watching someone develop a new skill and how ecstatic they are when the shot works out serves as a true reminder of why I started photography in the first place.”

Russ’s diverse range of experience, superior technical knowledge and gregarious nature mean he is uniquely placed to act as a mentor to other photographers. Time with Russ is not simply a tutorial; it’s a rollicking experience that ensures you come away both entertained and educated.

The project is a behind-the-scenes look at how to capture/photograph a magazine article written by journalist Alex Workman while working with the new Fujifilm GFX100S II and the GF500mmF5.6. The crux of the written piece focuses on an underground surfer juggling family and work life around the sea. Jerome Forrest, a very dedicated surfer and tradesman, is a reflection of many others who are living a very similar life; my two favorite subjects to shoot are 1. people (people’s stories inspire me) & 2: The ocean and everything the sea can produce from surfing to the power of waves. What an environment to truly test the new releases from Fujifilm.

In the past, I have used the 500mm focal length (not with large format), and those lenses are bulky and very heavy, opposite to the look and feel of the GF500mmF5.6 The GF500mmF5.6 equipped with the GFX100S II is lightweight, compact and well-built; I can easily imagine climbing rocks, scouring sand dunes, and walking some kilometers/miles along the coast without concerns.

Very early morning Surf a couple of kilometers walk down the beach with Jerome Forrest. Let’s see how the GFX100S II and GF500mmF5.6 handle low light, autofocus, subject detection, eye detection, image stabilization and high-speed continuous shooting up to 7fps put to the first test. If I could use one word to describe the performance, it would be ‘breathtaking,’ I cannot believe I have a 102MP Large Format camera that continuously focuses on my subject (handheld) and can produce imagery of the finest quality. Now, I can shoot action sports imagery (surfing) and simultaneously have my eye on possible gallery pieces and photos I can enlarge on a grand scale.

Image quality is one of the most significant factors why I love the GFX system; being able to print enlargements for clients with the finest details is extremely important when showcasing them in the gallery. Over the years, I have owned super telephoto lenses and been highly disappointed with how soft the images they produced; the GF500mmF5.6 has no such flaws. Shooting out of a helicopter (doors off) with the GFX100S II and GF500mmF5.6 resulted in amazing detailed images despite the very windy conditions, fast erratic movements and a photographer suffering motion sickness; the camera handled the conditions, but I didn’t and had to cut the trip by half; otherwise, it could have been awful for the filmer in the direct firing line (back seat).

The GFX100S II / GF500mmF5.6 is alarge format camera that can continuously focus on a moving subject (surfer flying across the wave face) with subject and eye detection following him from start to finish without any hunting. I not only trialed this in favorable conditions (high contrast and bright light), it worked in low light conditions, backlit conditions (challenging light) and, to my surprise, worked in dark conditions while shooting flash ( *note during the flash shoot, I had the preview exposure setting in manual mode ).

I have the previous model (GFX100S), and I love the size it’s small/compact; however, my main concern with new cameras is that when packed with more features, they tend to grow in size, making my water housing (Aquatech housing to keep the camera dry while shooting in the water) unusable. The new GFX100S II is the same size (small and compact), allowing me to shoot in the water and from land with the GF500mmF5.6. My style of shooting from land (keeping mobile) was downright easy; the weight was not even a concern.

A saying I use a lot:” press the trigger at the right time”, still applies, but I must admit I love having 7fps on a large format camera. It’s a fine line in and out of the water missing that critical shot; the 7fps gives you many more opportunities to nail that exact shot at 102mp (mind-blowing).

Dust and Weather Resistance: Being around the ocean with sea spray and sandy conditions gives me the confidence to photograph the elements without concern. Dual SD slot, I will shoot raws to one card for the editing room and shoot jpeg to the other (taking advantage of the film simulations). to send directly out of the camera to clients for previews. IBIS (8.0 stops) for improved stability while shooting handheld, I love capturing motion blurs with slow shutter speeds.

I love having a super telephoto for a large format camera, and the GFX100S II itself will cover everything I require for my workflow: commercial work, magazine work, and gallery images. It will be my ultimate workhorse. I can see the Fuji GFX100S II/GF500mmF5.6 being a tool for professional and high-end enthusiasts across the globe who photograph wildlife, action sports, landscapes, portraits, fine art, street and architecture photos (to name a few).