Boudoir Shoot With the Amazing Diandra Godiva! / October 6, 2017 by John Wineberg

I have been a fan of Diandra Godiva for over a year. I would describe her as a 50's style or vintage glamour model. According to Diandra she grew up in Northern California and had an interest in dressing up and taking photos since a young age. She prefers a vintage esthetic and lifestyle. She sings Karaoke and performs burlesque for special events. I discovered her on Instagram and hoped some day i'd get the chance to work with her. This last week I was able to do just that.

Fuju XT1, 56mm f1.2 lens, natural light.

I have had nothing but positive experiences working with models and this shoot was no exception. Diandra was amazing to work with. Her carefree nature and love for her craft shows in every image. I like to think I have a relaxed style of shooting. I want the model as comfortable as possible, knowing that this demeanor fosters a return through the lens. In other words, you get what you give. For me this was one of the most fun photo shoots I've done.

I love natural light. There is something to be said for keeping it simple. I am very comfortable with using off camera flash and have used it for many shoots. When it comes to Boudoir shoots I prefer the look of natural light. I shot with the Fuji XT1 and for this shoot I used the Fuji 56mm f1.2 R lens. Shot mostly wide open, there is a slightly soft nature to these images that works for me.

Diandra takes me back to my youth, watching old Marilyn Monroe films like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Some Like It Hot". I am already working on plans for my next shoot with this amazing model. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did creating them.

I had to throw in at least one black and white!

You can find Diandra on Instagram or Tumblr

I Went Mirrorless! / January 5, 2016 by John Wineberg

So I finally pulled the trigger on a brand new Fuji XT1 paired with an 18-55mm f2.8 to 4. I took advantage of the discounts they were offering during the holidays and added a used 56mm f1.2. In total I saved close to $750. I'm going to warn you now this is not a full blown review of the XT1, just my first impressions and feelings in using it for approximately one week. The ver first thing I noticed about this camera is that everything is where I would expect it to be. It looks and feels like a mix between my Nikon FE2 and my Fuji X100T. It's light weight but fits perfectly in my hand. The viewfinder is amazing. As most have already commented, the directional buttons around the menu button are small but i've gotten used to it. The hardest thing for me is that the lens release is on the right side, or grip side, of the body, opposite to Nikon, so muscle memory has to be overcome. Another peeve is that the lens hood doesn't click in as easy and smoothly as my Nikon. Not a big deal.

When I got home today the clouds parted for a few minutes and the lighting in my backyard drew me out. I attached the 56mm f1.2 and started wandering. This is my favorite way to shoot. It's like hunting and the image is my prey. Below are some of those shots. All of these images are jpegs edited in Snapseed.

While this is more of a portrait lens, I enjoyed this hunt. Focusing these images was a small challenge but was solved by increasing my distance. I can't wait to do a portrait shoot with this lens and hopefully it will be soon. I look forward to exploring all of the capabilities of this camera and will share as I do. Shooting is fun again and my bag is a few pounds lighter with this smaller gear.

Hmmmm where to wonder next?