{"id":64949,"date":"2022-07-01T14:00:08","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T05:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4204639"},"modified":"2024-05-02T00:23:12","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T15:23:12","slug":"x-h2s-street-photography-x-tom-baumgaertel","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/stories\/x-h2s-street-photography-x-tom-baumgaertel\/","title":{"rendered":"X-H2S: Street photography x Tom Baumgaertel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WLWN8-FHvyU\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Straight From the Heart of the City<\/h2>\n<h5>With his vibrant and striking street photography always made in the moment, Tom Baumgaertel thrilled to the immediacy of Fujifilm\u2019s powerful new X-H2S<\/h5>\n<p>\u201cIn street photography, being connected and present with your environment is vital,\u201d Tom Baumgaertel begins. \u201cWhen I\u2019m working, I\u2019m taking everything in, looking out for any opportunity that comes down the road. I\u2019m living and breathing that city space, trying to be in the right place at the right time. But that\u2019s only half the process. I also make sure my kit won\u2019t hold me back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_01.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_01.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/640 sec at F4, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>When we think about photography, it\u2019s certainly not the planning or editing of a photo that first comes to mind. Instead, it\u2019s the act of physically making a picture. That moment a memory is created by photographer and machine. \u201cThat\u2019s also why I like my pictures to come straight out of the camera,\u201d Tom continues. \u201cMy street work is instinctual and passionately connected to the city. Why would I sit in front of a computer, editing a picture for hours \u2013 trying to remember the feeling I had, or the colors I imagined \u2013 when I could have achieved it all in camera?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col3\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_02-237x300.jpg?width=237&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204641\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/160 sec at F5.6, ISO 800<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_03-200x300.jpg?width=200&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204642\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/640 sec at F4, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_04-200x300.jpg?width=200&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204643\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/500 sec at F4, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tom\u2019s photography has taken him to LA, via an upbringing in rural Germany and an education in Atlanta, and it was during the latter when he developed a love for street imagery. \u201cThe streets around Georgia State University were my playground for years,\u201d he explains, \u201cI would skateboard with friends downtown, keeping my eyes open for good locations to capture us doing tricks. That translated into looking for street subjects, and the more I made those kinds of images, the greater the connection I felt with that environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tom\u2019s recent street collections play with traditional tropes like silhouettes, but mix with vibrant, energetic, and unnatural colors. Often created at sunset or after dark, Tom toys with the natural light, lamps, bright shop windows, and digital billboards, carefully warping and exaggerating colors to create his dynamic compositions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_05.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_05.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/250 sec at F1, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cEven though it\u2019s stylised, all of my street work is basically straight out of camera,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat means I\u2019m in touch with everything, from manually underexposing silhouettes, to precisely controlling the colors using Film Simulations and custom white balance. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve always relied on FUJIFILM X Series cameras to help me do \u2013 whether it\u2019s their intuitive controls, or instant feedback from the electronic viewfinder. And I\u2019m certain X-H2S is going to build my confidence further.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col3\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_06-200x300.jpg?width=200&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204645\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1\/640 sec at F5.6, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_07-200x300.jpg?width=200&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204646\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR, 1 sec at F4.4, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_08-200x300.jpg?width=200&#038;height=300\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4204647\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/320 sec at F1.8, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Indeed, Tom had great success in his time with X-H2S. \u201cI applied many of the same processes and techniques I use in my other work, to see how the new camera compared with my X-Pro3 and the X-T2 I had before,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to say it\u2019s the same \u2013 but better! In fact, this is the greatest X Series camera I\u2019ve ever used. It keeps all of the things I like about its predecessors, adding features to make me an even better photographer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_09.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_09.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/800 sec at F14, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cI like to keep things simple,\u201d Tom continues. \u201cFor instance, with X-Pro3, I\u2019ll often use the Single drive mode, Single Point AF, or manual focus. But with the more advanced features of X-H2S, I really boosted my efficiency. More of the photos I wanted were in perfect focus and faultlessly timed, but I was still able to work in the style I\u2019ve grown accustomed to with X Series.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn downtown LA, we wanted the golden hour light before moving on to photograph after dark, but that meant we ran into a lot of traffic and people. It was basically rush hour! That makes it hard to capture street silhouettes in the clean and uncluttered way I like. Subjects can get blocked or overlap, and moments of opportunity are microscopic.\u201d To solve the issue, Tom turned to the powerful X-H2S continuous drive mode. \u201cThis camera can record up to 15fps in its mechanical shutter mode, and 40fps in electronic mode, so I could pick out the perfect frame from a clutch of stills.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_10.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_10.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/3 sec at F9, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cOf course, a clunking shutter is not what you want when making candid images at high speed, especially if you\u2019re close to the subject,\u201d he continues. \u201cSomeone will think they have the paparazzi after them! Fortunately, while the electronic shutter is obviously completely silent, the mechanical system has a low key, dampened sound. Even though the body is bigger than most of the cameras I have used in the street, it&#8217;s still a very comfortable setup when you want to work candidly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The ergonomics of X-H2S were also a pleasant experience for Tom. \u201cX-T2 was my first camera, so I\u2019m used to mirrorless bodies, but I was also comfortable with X-Pro3\u2019s rangefinder styling in recent years, often using it from the hip in that old school way. However, I really enjoyed X-H2S\u2019s new 5.76 million dot resolution EVF. It feels very smooth, so the whole experience of working in these environments was a lot easier.\u201d X-H2S\u2019s large, comfortable handgrip also impressed Tom. \u201cEspecially when using some of the weightier X Series optics like XF50mmF1.0 R WR.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_11.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_11.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/320 sec at F1.1, ISO 200<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Indeed, using the ultra-bright option for much of his low-light street photography, while working at or close to the widest apertures, Tom saw an instant benefit in X-H2S\u2019s incredible AF system. Powered by its X-Processor 5, the new camera features a cutting-edge Deep Learning autofocus. It\u2019s able to effortlessly lock on to eyes, faces, and a range of other subjects, in near-dark conditions. \u201cI basically did not miss any shots, which was great, even with back-lit subjects, and those coming directly towards the camera,\u201d Tom enthuses.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_12.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/x-h2s_tom-baumgaertel_12.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo 2022 \u00a9 Tom Baumgaertel | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF50mmF1.0 R WR, 1\/400 sec at F1, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cBut on top of all the speed and flexibility, you still have that X-Trans sensor design for unbeatable image quality.\u201d Featuring the new 26.1MP X-Trans 5 stacked BSI chip, X-H2S delivers outstanding results in low-light capabilities, and up to 14 stops of dynamic range while filming, along with its renowned control over moire and false color. \u201cSo, the really beautiful thing about X-H2S, is that in terms of color and detail it lets you express your purest creative visions right out of camera,\u201d Tom concludes. \u201cAnd in that way, you\u2019re totally connected.\u201d<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Straight From the Heart of the City With his vibrant and striking street photography always made in the moment, Tom Baumgaertel thrilled to the immediacy of Fujifilm\u2019s powerful new X-H2S \u201cIn street photography, being connected and present with your environment is vital,\u201d Tom Baumgaertel begins. \u201cWhen I\u2019m working, I\u2019m taking everything in, looking out for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":64950,"template":"","category":[2084,1006,1202,1055,13039,3211,13040,3309,320,3162,1986,565,7082,9091,8111,13041,3358],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-64949","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-h2s","category-xf16-80mmf4-r-ois-wr","category-xf50mmf1-r-wr","category-zoom-lenses","category-zoom"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-31 18:51:38","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/64949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=64949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=64949"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lt-lt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=64949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}