Photo courtesy of the Noguchi Museum

Jan. 15, 2024 By Ethan Marshall

The Noguchi Museum is offering a free photography workshop program conducted entirely in Spanish starting from Jan. 16 and running through Feb. 27.

This creative opportunity will take place Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The workshop is designed for adults aged 16 and older, aiming to provide a unique and enriching experience for individuals interested in photography.

This program will be run by artist Sol Aramendi, who will guide attendees through basic photography and video techniques and image composition. Participants will explore how film and photography is capable of capturing growth, connection and transformation over time by taking inspiration from Isamu Noguchi’s stone sculptures, natural organisms like fungi and experimental films of Marie Menken, which is the subject of the museum’s current exhibition.

The Noguchi Museum is holding this workshop program in partnership with Project Luz, a local arts organization that seeks to empower new immigrants in Queens with photography. The organization helps its participants- immigrants from Hispanic countries, to use photography as a tool to explore the city and tell stories, both about the city and themselves.

Those who wish to participate are required to bring a notebook and a camera or cell phone. While participation is free, attendees are expected to be in attendance for every session and complete weekly assignments. For more information on the workshop, or to register, visit this site or contact [email protected].

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Sirui has been making great photography products for some time now, and over the past couple of years the Chinese company has re-focussed on developing a growing and impressive range of affordable fast aperture prime cine and photography lenses.

However, up until now the company has never offered any lenses with autofocus, with its new, and fast f1.2 autofocus APS-C Sniper trio for Fuji X, Sony E & Nikon Z mount its first offering of this kind, making the lenses an intriguing option to review. 

Currently Sirui’s Sniper series of lenses are available in 23mm, 33mm & 56mm formats.

We checked out the 56mm f1.2 version for Fuji X mount to see how this fast budget sharpshooter stacks up.

The tech

All three Sniper lenses have a very similar size, aesthetic, and build quality, and are offered in black (as tested), white, or silver as individual lenses or as a set, which has the added bonus of selling at a slight discount.

The 56mm weighs in at 419g, is 92mm long, has STM autofocus with an aperture range of f1.2-f16, has a 58mm filter thread, ED glass, a 12-element structure with 11 aperture blades, a USB-C port (for firmware updates), a 360-degree twist focus ring and are served with a twist fit plastic lens hood and soft lens pouch.

Build quality

Overall, the build quality and finish is very good for a lens at this price point. And although it does lack weather sealing, you can’t complain about this given the low entry price ($599). 

The black version is made from anodised metal and has a carbon fibre section, and it is a good looking lens – as strange as that may sound. So far, it seems solid and durable.

In use

This is not a small lens for a Fuji, but it still sits and fits well on the X-series bodies. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated aperture ring, which many users of fuji’s native glass will miss, and the aperture dials when used in-camera also have a long throw between stops. As an aperture priority shooter this can be a little irritating at times.

In the hand, the lens feels solid and in proportion to the X series cameras, similar to the red label Fujinon lenses but without that lenses’ solid feel. The focus ring is knurled metal and is wide – a full thumb width. It is smooth but not so much so that it slips on its own – it has a cine lens feel to it, something a hybrid shooter will appreciate.

Autofocus

The autofocus on the Sirui 56mm f/1.2 is not the fastest around, and yet it is on par with many of the older Fujinon lenses. This means it’s very usable in most well-lit scenarios, though I suspect it would struggle with fast moving action sports and can tend to hunt a little in difficult and low lighting situations – as do many of the older Fujinon lenses.

It’s worth noting that the lenses also work with cameras that offer Eye AF too. 

Image quality

Image quality in the 56mm is surprisingly good, although images are not as edge-to-edge sharp and detailed as those from the fast Fuji equivalent lenses. But that is to be expected for a lens that is a third the price of the Fuji versions.

Few lenses perform at their best when shot wide open, and yet if you buy an f1.2 lens you will probably often shoot it that way. 

The trade-off here is that at f1.2 the Sniper displays a little more softness, a tad less contrast, and some mild fringing and chromatic abortion.

When it comes to the “B” word (bokeh), the effect will obviously differ through the focal lengths of the Sniper series, with the 56mm we tested perhaps being the best to demonstrate its prowess, or not, as the case may be. Overall, the bokeh shape and appearance depend on the light source, but it is slightly ovalised. 

Brighter halogen lights do reveal some fringing at f1.2, although this does improve at f.1.8, and even more so at f2.8. Chromatic aberration is generally well managed throughout the aperture range, with it improving noticeably from f5.6.

Sharpness and all-round image quality improves with every step of aperture, and by f4 the image is much more contrasty and cleaner. Get past f5.6 and fringing, distortion, chromatic aberration, and other imperfections are far less apparent, and between here and f11 image quality is pretty good all round.

Interestingly, I found it hard to achieve sun stars with the 56mm, although this is likely as much a product of the longer focal length at 56mm.  

All-in-all, I’d describe the Sniper 56mm as being a characterful lens, and a little unrefined perhaps, which some will see as a nice analogue twist to an ever-sharpening world of clinical digital image perfection. 

The results

Build quality & durability – 4/5

The overall build quality is very good, and superb for the price. Weather sealing would be nice, but is perhaps too much to expect at such a price.

Image quality – 3.5/5

Image quality is a personal thing in some ways, and it’s pretty good with the Sniper, but is not on a par with the far more expensive Fujinon lenses, which are superb.

Most images will be good enough for the majority of us, and above what you may expect of an inexpensive and very fast lens.

Value for money – 5/5

For an f1.2 autofocus lens at this price point the Sniper offers amazing value for money.

The wrap-up

Sirui’s Sniper series of lenses are exceptionally fast and good value primes that punch above their weight. For most users – including professionals who may only use or need such fast lenses on occasion, these are plenty good enough.

That said, you do not get the weather sealing, the image quality, or performance of the native Fujinon equivalent glass. But Fujifilm’s equivalent XF 56mm F1.2 R WR lens ain’t exactly cheap, and will set you back around $1,500. That’s the trade-off really, and one you’ll need to decide for yourself if it is enough of a dealbreaker.

That leaves the Sirui Sniper series as a great value and very acceptable lens series for those on a budget, but probably not the best option if ultimate image quality is your goal. 

More images

What makes a successful bird photography outing? For 13-year-old Sam Phaneuf it means early mornings, long hours, a watchful eye and alert ears.

Phaneuf is a Grade 8 student at F.H. Clergue Public School who has been involved in bird photography since he was five years old. Aside from the hobby itself, which he refers to as birding, Phaneuf gives back to the community through conservation efforts and he enjoys sharing his passion with audiences young and old.

“Birding can take any form, from looking at birds at your bird feeder and having a bird book beside you to identify them or what I do, where I go internationally to try and find birds,” said Phaneuf.

Photos of Phaneuf’s finds can be seen on his Instagram page.

He got into bird watching at such a young age by following in the footsteps of his grandparents Vivian and Don Hall. To date, Phaneuf has identified 366 bird species in his travels, with a goal of hitting at least 415 by the end of 2024.

While older generations of bird watchers would rely on printed field guides to identify different species, Phaneuf is leaning more on the modern technology that is available, including web sites like eBird.org and phone apps like Merlin Bird ID.

He and other birders will share rare birds on these platforms. In many cases, those birds are just passing through the area and there is only a short window to observe them.

“As soon as a rare bird is sighted I get an alert on my phone, that way I can get out and find it quicker or have a better chance of finding it,” said Phaneuf.

He has also trained his ear to recognize dozens of bird calls, which comes in handy because many birds in the wild can be heard before they are seen.

The young birdwatcher canvases friends and family to donate toward his all-day bird-a-thons, where he spends the better part of the day scanning the skies and shores for photo opportunities.

“On a day I am dedicated to going out I will get up at 5:30, have a granola bar and head out by 6 o’clock and bird until 3,” said Phaneuf. “When I am really dedicated to looking for something, when I find it I spend the rest of my day just photographing it.”

Phaneuf has taken the money from those bird-a-thons and funded classroom literature for his school and another elementary school in the city to help other kids become interested in the hobby.

He has also donated to various conservation efforts and, in an environmental club formed with friends and his sister Emma, getting his hands dirty to make it better for wildlife by pulling invasive species like garlic mustard or picking up litter.

“I don’t know why, but when people flick a cigarette butt they don’t consider that littering, but if they threw a Styrofoam cup they would know that is littering,” said Phaneuf. “In some areas we pick up like 100 cigarette butts in a meter-square area and that isn’t good. Birds don’t know what’s going to happen if they eat them.”

He also takes every opportunity he can to speak about bird watching, from classroom presentations to a recent speech at a Rotary Club lunch in Sault Ste. Marie.

“I love presenting to different crowds. I presented for the Ontario Field Ornithologists — it’s an Ontario-wide bird watching program — I love doing bird presentations because it’s what I do best,” he said.

Although he has bird watched in seven countries, some of Phaneuf’s favourite bird watching sites are much closer to home. He enjoys shooting along the shore at Echo Bay and many of the bird species that have been sighted in Algoma can be found at Whitefish Island. 

“You don’t need to go far, there are birds all around us,” he said.

The rarest bird he has found in the area was a tri-colored heron, one of only a few recorded sightings in the area on eBird.org.

A lot of the equipment Phaneuf uses to photograph birds has come in the form of gifts and from saving his money, but he said you don’t need a lot of money to get started in the hobby.

“If you want to get into bird watching, go out to your local park with someone you know who bird watches and ask them to show you around and give you an idea of how bird watching works,” he said. “Be patient and don’t get discouraged. That happens to me very easily sometimes when I’m bird watching and there aren’t many [birds] out.”

I have been an avid travel photographer for 14 years. One day, I came across the famous Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by Zaha Hadid. I researched many photographs to find the best angles. During my trip in 2019, I made multiple visits over four days to capture different types of lighting. I then whittled hundreds of images down to just two. They changed my life.

Together, they have won over 40 awards across a variety of photo competitions, including Travel Photographer of the Year 2020, International Photography Awards 2022 and National Geographic Traveller India. After all the success I achieved following my first trip, I decided to revisit the building complex in 2023. 

All of my images include a human element alongside the structure to give a sense of scale. I frame this human element using architectural lines and curves to create a more interesting composition. Including only a single figure and avoiding crowds is vital to create a simple, minimalist composition. I carefully consider the position, direction and spacing of the human element, emphasized via light and shadow, as well as contrasting colors.

Where kit is concerned, I feel comfortable using my Nikon D5600 and Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR. I use a small, crop-sensor camera to avoid attention, because I spend hours photographing from the same spot.

My best shots

I took this shot on my first trip in 2019. I repeatedly visited the location over several days until I captured the woman in yellow, which contrasted with the blue sky. I wanted to convey a sense of scale and waited until the woman passed between two curves before firing the shutter, so the dark lines didn’t intersect with her.

I often wait for a very long time to take an image and decided on only one picture from each angle. I had to wait for the woman in the red dress to appear. The image includes all the RGB colors; the woman’s dress creates contrast between the warm red and the cool blues and greens. I intentionally captured the figure on the left-hand side of the frame – looking towards the right – to create active space on the right-hand side.

The leading line is the most important visual element in this image. It leads the eye of the viewer to the woman who is the point of interest. Again, the direction of the figure turns dead space into active space.

I turned this image to monochrome because the woman was wearing black, so I felt it would convert nicely into a black and white. Also, I feel the harsh shadows and light work well in mono. I applied the rule of thirds here and used active space to create a dynamic composition.

I really liked the light and shadow in this scene, so I waited for someone to pass by, framed by the building’s vertical lines. This created a sense of scale, showing how big the building is compared to the figure.

My architecture photography tips

• Research is the key to success. Study how other photographers captured the subject so you’re able to photograph it in a different style.
• Visit a place twice. The first time you visit the attraction, you will be in awe and will likely take the normal ‘touristy’ images. The second time, you won’t be so distracted, and will be able to find the angles that convey your own style.
• Be invisible. Travel photographers don’t wear photography jackets and they don’t carry a huge bag full of cameras and lenses. Carry a small camera to avoid attention. 

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Working in a photo studio can be very scary at first, as you need to set up a lot of different equipment. Indeed, when you have flashes, modifiers, camera settings, and then some on top, you can get lost very easily. I was lost during my first shoot for these reasons. That experience would’ve been so much easier had I known these tips, though.

Having lived in my studio, I am very confident in saying that it is my natural habitat. With enough space, light, and modifiers, I can craft just about anything that my vivid imagination comes up with. All of this came, of course, through a lot of practice. Nowadays, when I don’t think actively about the light I want to use, and instead focus on the emotion and intention behind my image, I can just pick up light shaping tools and do it.

If you are starting out, you will need to actively think about very simple things such as your flash firing, the modifier you’re using, light power, spill, reflection, and so on. As a beginner, this can be a lot, and it really is. With these tips, you can be a lot more confident with your studio photography and focus on what’s in front of your camera as opposed to what’s going on behind the scenes.

Shutter Speed Doesn’t Matter

In the studio, the shutter speed you use is almost irrelevant. This does have a number of caveats, but I will try to create a scenario when it does not at all. Essentially, for this to work properly, you want to be in a room with as little natural light as possible. Then, if you set your flash power, aperture, and ISO accordingly, you will notice that no matter what shutter speed you use, the image will look the same. Here are the details. Set your ISO to 100, aperture to something around f/8-f/13, and flash power based on what you’re working with. So much so, there comes a point where you can just set your settings to the same values and just change flash power. It is what I do most of the time. Sure, for that you will need quite a lot of power and lights, but it is possible. My usual settings wobble around ISO 200-800, f/8-f/13, 1/160th of a second. The shutter speed is simply the safe sync speed that I found to work most reliably. Sure, the lights can technically sync at 1/250th of a second, but I would rather not go to extremes when I want reliable results.

Your Light Is More Important Than Your Camera

Building on what we’ve learned in the first point, your light is way more important. The way you position it, the modifier you use, and the power you use can all be deciding factors in how your image looks. So much so that there are photographers who are shooting with their iPhones but with professional lighting setups. Their images look stunning. The same applies to natural light. Sure, you can shoot on a Phase One XF, but if you don’t know the basics of lighting, your images will look the same no matter what you’ve shot them on. A better camera is not a silver bullet. Learning the basics of light and how various modifiers work will enable you to shoot on any camera and get consistent results. Take me as an example: I switched to a 50mm f/1.4 which is optically worse than any mirrorless body. Likewise, my camera, although it is a Canon 5Ds ultra high-resolution body, is still nine years old. When I shot with professional lights on an iPhone, I got worse, but still acceptable results.

One Light Can Do a Lot

Building on knowing light, I must add that one light can often be plenty for your work. This is something that I had to learn by force. You see, when I work in my studio, I have the luxury of having more modifiers than I need, and more lights than I need. I can always just throw on another light and solve the problem, or use a different modifier to get the exact result I want. This results in some great images, but also results in my work being tech-dependent. When I started to travel, I could not be as free with what I used. This taught me to learn to work with one single light, work around the sun, and find ways I can use a single light with a modifier creatively. Turns out, you can do a lot with a single B1X and a 3’ Octa with a grid. I’m more than confident that eventually, I will discover even more nuances about this setup and become even better at working with a single light.

White Backgrounds Can Be Turned Into Grey and Black

I’ll be honest, no light trickery can replace a white, gray, and black background, but you can create shades of white (or black) using clever lighting. Essentially, if you don’t light up a surface, it will be black. If you light it slightly, it will be gray. If you light it fully, it will be white. As such, if you only have a white backdrop in your studio, you can get different shades of it by moving your light position. This is how I am able to get images you see below all while shooting on a pure white background.

Try Natural Light

I am a big advocate for learning flash photography, but it’s not for everyone. Natural light photographers, especially beginners, have a place too. Natural light is the polar opposite of flash, as here your shutter speed matters as well as aperture and ISO. Essentially, it comes down to using the usual exposure rules we all know. When starting out, it might be more comfortable to use natural light. But bear in mind that because natural light is not consistent, you will have to learn flash to get the same effects artificially. Another important point to mention is that with natural light you need to be mindful of where you place your model as you can’t change light position or light quality. Things such as diffusers and reflectors will be really handy in that case.