Kara Mercer thrives on the process of creating something from nothing and using that creative outlet as a form of expression \u2013 something she tells us is more important than ever in the current climate. \u201cOur art is something we all resonate with,\u201d she says. \u201cI think there are a lot of times in life where there are words you want to express, whether it\u2019s to people or to things that are happening in the world, especially now. And that\u2019s what photography is for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only is this the reason why Kara makes images in general, but it\u2019s the basis of her most recent project. \u201cDuring quarantine, I\u2019ve been creating a book with a friend, expressing the emotions we are all going through this season,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn a lot of ways, with Covid-19 and all the challenges we\u2019re facing in the world, we\u2019re shining a light on things that can bring us together and that create a lot of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kara continues: \u201cYou\u2019ll see throughout the whole session that the light changes in various ways. Sometimes it\u2019s really stark and sometimes it\u2019s really soft and golden, it shines a light on things that maybe you hadn\u2019t thought of before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Image\"](\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/x-s10-sooc_kara-mercer_02-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto \u00a9 Kara Mercer | FUJIFILM X-S10 camera and XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens, 1\/400 sec at F5.6, ISO 1600<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
For Kara, the process of creating is all about collaboration. The idea that a number of different minds come together, each adding a little bit of their own personality, is what a great project is made of. \u201cThere\u2019s just something beautiful about collaborating on photo shoots, whether it\u2019s for a client or for personal reasons. I love that we all infuse a piece of ourselves into the results,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Kara goes on to say that using X-S10 for this session made the collaboration process much easier, due to the camera\u2019s easy controls and convenient features. \u201cIf you\u2019re fidgeting with gear the whole time, it hinders a lot of the connection you can have with your models and your team,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo, I\u2019m always a fan of putting things in place that make it easier for me to communicate and be in connection with my team, while achieving beautiful images.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto \u00a9 Kara Mercer | FUJIFILM X-S10 camera and XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens, 1\/1250 sec at F6.4, ISO 250<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
She specifically highlights the camera\u2019s compact and lightweight body, plus the vari-angle LCD touchscreen. \u201cX-S10 was really amazing. It\u2019s super-lightweight. I love that you can turn the screen, especially for a short person like me! It\u2019s also really useful if you need to clear some reflection that\u2019s hitting the top of the camera,\u201d Kara enthuses.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto \u00a9 Kara Mercer | FUJIFILM X-S10 camera and XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens, 1\/1000 sec at F6.4, ISO 320<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Kara feels X-S10 took the best from the X Series and rolled it all into one, with the larger handgrip and ergonomics reminiscent of X-H1, the 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, quad-core X-Processor 4, and five-axis in-body image stabilization from X-T4, all inside a body as small as X-T30. This all came together to make it a pleasure to use X-S10 handheld.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything I shot was handheld and X-S10 was really cool. I love the grip! It felt great to be able to just hold the camera up quickly and get the shot,\u201d she tells us. \u201cI feel like this is a beautiful segue into all of Fujifilm\u2019s camera systems. It was like a mix between X-H1 and X-T30 and it gives you these beautiful color profiles that Fujifilm is so good at.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n