Leading Photographers Talk About The X-Pro1 (pt 2)
Jack Picone, photojournalist and social documentary photographer - “My mantra is’ slow is fast’ – you look, you think, you wait and then you make the picture. I like the psychology of the X-Pro1…it allows me to connect with the people I am photographing”.
Jack Picone is another award-winning Australian photojournalist. Jack spent a decade covering the world's conflict zones including Iraq, Sudan, Rwanda and Palestine, but this work is only partly representative of his oeuvre, which also involves social documentary projects and workshops.
He says the X-Pro1 is a “quiet camera, very subtle. I can use it on the streets or with people in sensitive situations and it is such an understated retro design that people don’t react to it. It isn’t like a DSLR, which is like a house brick that is in front of your face. With this camera people either ignore you or if they do take notice of you they don’t see you as a professional photographer, they see you as a human being. Being able to strike a rapport with people in a more seamless way is, for me, poetry”.
“It is a more intelligent way to work. I think DSLRs are very clever, but I don’t like them physically. I am really happy with this camera and I was doing back flips when it came on the market.”
Jack is a one body, one lens photographer and uses the 18mm. He says, “For documentary photography or photojournalism you need to be close. Use your legs and walk into the picture. Talk to people, build a rapport and create a visual conversation”.
Copyright Jack Picone 2012
Megan Lewis, social documentary photographer - “I am really blown away by this little camera. It produces incredible quality, and is so light and easy to use that I want to take it with me everywhere. You don’t even know you’ve got it with you, it just becomes part of what you are doing and you can shoot from the hip”.
A former newspaper photographer, Megan Lewis now works on social documentary projects, the most recent of which is ‘Conversations with the Mob’, shot over three years while living in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia with the Martu Aboriginal community.
She says when the X-Pro1 camera came out, “it was exactly what I was looking for. I had been hoping someone would come out with a lightweight camera that takes really high quality pictures, and the X-Pro1 is that camera. Carrying heavy equipment around all the time becomes a burden. In fact you get to the point where you stop taking pictures because you are thinking about the weight of the gear”
Megan also likes how discreet the X-Pro1 is explaining that when you are shooting out in the desert, where there is no background noise to absorb sounds like the shutter firing, this smaller, quieter camera helps her connect more readily with people.
Having previously shot her major projects on film Megan says she now wouldn’t hesitate to use the X-Pro1. “For me the X-Pro1 replaces film. I wasn’t sure about shooting digital on projects I feel are really important stories to tell, but I think this camera can do it”.
Copyright Megan Lewis 2012
Guest Post by Alison Stieven-Taylor. http://www.realityillusion.com
Alison, a freelance journalist for over 25 years, currently living in Melbourne, Australia. Her articles have been published in more than 50 titles internationally.