{"id":63471,"date":"2021-04-21T14:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-04-21T05:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4053746"},"modified":"2024-05-02T01:32:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T16:32:57","slug":"xf18mmf1-4-wide-open-freedom","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/stories\/xf18mmf1-4-wide-open-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"XF18mmF1.4: Wide-Open Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p><strong>Wedding photographer, Ben Chrisman talks about how FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR makes the perfect tool for framing all aspects of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With a background in documentary photography, covering everything from crime scenes for his local police department, to the devastation of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, Ben Chrisman has always placed huge value on being in the thick of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the quote that appeared under my high school yearbook photo, they asked me why I wanted to be a photographer and I said: \u2018Because I want to be close to the action\u2019,\u201d recalls Ben, and it\u2019s a philosophy that never changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why I like weddings, because you\u2019re in the middle of chaos all day, and you\u2019ve got to figure out how to channel that and make it look interesting,\u201d he continues. \u201cNo matter how much a coordinator thinks they\u2019re going to plan the whole day perfectly, things always go wrong. I love those moments, because I like it when people get thrown off a little bit and they\u2019re more honest and real.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_02-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190013\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/2000 sec at F1.4, ISO 400<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_03-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190014\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/3200 sec at F1.6, ISO 125<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In order to frame these authentic moments, and indeed to achieve his unique style, Ben made an early decision to stick within a certain focal range, incorporating wider primes to force him to get in close. \u201cIn Fujifilm terms, I carry four cameras at all times, fitted with XF23mmF1.4 R, XF56mmF1.2 R, XF18mmF2 R and XF35mmF1.4 R. This gives me a 35\/85mm 27\/53mm equivalent,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a conscious decision when I started photographing weddings. I knew I was going to miss certain photos not having a telephoto zoom, but I also knew I was going to be able to make different photos because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_04-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190015\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/6400 sec at F1.4, ISO 100<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_05-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190016\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/80 sec at F1.4, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For Ben, XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR takes the place of XF18mmF2 R to complete his set of ultra-fast primes, and he welcomes its F1.4 aperture with open arms. \u201cHaving an F1.4 version is everything to me, because I shoot at F1.4 literally almost every picture I take, unless I go to F5.6 when I want to give the foreground and background a little more context. Those are basically my two apertures. And the cool thing about Fujifilm is that if you shoot at F1.4, you know it\u2019s going to be dead sharp,\u201d he reveals.<\/p>\n<p>He goes on to talk about the role the 28mm equivalent focal length plays in his work. \u201cThe XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR gives me a lens that I\u2019ll always carry because I feel like the 28mm equivalent focal length is a little bit more creative than 35mm. The 35mm is like a workhorse \u2013 it&#8217;s very documentary, it shows exactly what it is. Whereas, at 28mm, you have to get a little bit closer, so it forces you to tell a story,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat said, 24mm equivalent is too wide for me, too much distortion, so XF18mmF1.4 is like a borderline between too wide and getting into the zone that I really like, which is 28mm to 35mm.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_06-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190017\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-T4 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/8000 sec at F1.4, ISO 100<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_07-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190018\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-T4 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/1000 sec at F1.4, ISO 8000<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Creating at such close quarters comes with its own set of focusing challenges. However, Ben tells us that XF18mmF1.4\u2019s linear motor, close focusing distance and outstanding resolution gave him the freedom he needed.<\/p>\n<p>For this project he specifically wanted to take a variety of images from all aspects of life to illustrate the versatility of the lens. \u201cI\u2019ve tried to make pictures that almost any photographer can relate to. I&#8217;m a wedding photographer, but I&#8217;ve tried to show way more than weddings. For example, I did some portraiture and used it show people that this can be an everyday lens to carry around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, a lot of what I&#8217;ve been doing is either getting really far back and showing more of an epic landscape, which is what I love doing, or getting close, using minimal focal distance. I wanted to show off how close this lens can get and how interesting it is to have that perspective,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n<p>A perfect example of the lens\u2019s capabilities in close quarters was an encounter with a seal when photographing a wedding in Mexico, which was made possible by XF18mmF1.4\u2019s AF speed, accuracy and near-silent operation. \u201cThat seal let me get six inches from its face. So, I was using Eye Detection to focus on a seal\u2019s eyeball, which was weird,\u201d he chuckles.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_08-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190019\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/1000 sec at F1.4, ISO 125<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_09-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190020\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/8000 sec at F1.4, ISO 160<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWedding and documentary photographers should be all over this lens,\u201d concludes Ben. \u201cI made 21,000 images at a recent wedding \u2013 more than half were with the XF18mmF1.4 \u2013 and there&#8217;s probably only a handful of photos that were out of focus from the whole day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been hoping for this lens for a long time, because I wanted something that kind of opens me up a little bit. That lets me feel like I can let go and just shoot for the fun of it,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like the 28mm equivalent gives me the freedom to be a little bit more out there. So, I&#8217;m really happy I now have something that has the F1.4 aperture, but is still small enough to carry around every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Watch our exclusive video to go behind the scenes and discover how Ben used XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR to create these awesome images!<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe width=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r3s2lJrTnwI\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_10-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190021\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/320 sec at F7.1, ISO 80<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_11-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190022\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/500sec at F1.4, ISO 160<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp_flexbox col2\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_12-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190023\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\u00a0\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/250 sec at F1.4, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/xf18mmf14_ben-chrisman_13-1-300x200.jpg?width=300&#038;height=200\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4190024\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"  data-recalc-dims=\"1\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo \u00a9 Ben Chrisman | FUJIFILM X-Pro3 camera and XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR lens, 1\/50 sec at F1.4, ISO 400<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wedding photographer, Ben Chrisman talks about how FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR makes the perfect tool for framing all aspects of life. With a background in documentary photography, covering everything from crime scenes for his local police department, to the devastation of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, Ben Chrisman has always placed huge value [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":63472,"template":"","category":[2084,1006,1202,1055,13039,3211,13040,3309,320,3162,1986,565,6690,6886,8209],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-63471","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-pro3","category-x-t4","category-xf18mmf1-4-r-lm-wr"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-04 20:24:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/63471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=63471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=63471"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/lv-lv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=63471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}