Fuji GFX100 Goes Surfing in the Malibu of the Midwest!
PROJECTSERF
10.18.2020
The fall season is upon us here in Sheboygan, WI and that means it’s now surf season. Sheboygan is known to many as the “Malibu of the Midwest” because of the awesome surf that is available year round. Myself and another local photographer, Tyler Feld Photography, have been documenting the scene here in Sheboygan visually for the last three years and we call this #ProjectSerf. Each time we go out and capture the surfers, it’s always an adventure.
Tyler and I both capture with Fuji X-Series and GFX equipment and do so for a reason. The conditions are typically cold this time of year and the environments are extremely harsh. There are days we both go out and the temperature is 20 below with the wind chill and we need gear that can keep up with us. Ok, ok… enough about all that Fuji stuff. Let’s get to the good stuff.
The conditions on the this outing were aggressive. The winds were high and strong. The waves were about 10-12ft and the sand on the beach was flying like crazy. Tip #1, be sure to blow off all of your gear with a can of compressed air when you get back to your home base. Also blow out your bag or whatever you used to carry your equipment. Sand is just as bad as water for your gear if not worse, make sure you take care of your investment. We spent about two hours outside in the rough conditions and came out with a few keepers.
Here’s a collection of images that were captured with the FUJI GFX100 Large format camera body paired with the FUJI GFX 110mm f/2 lens.
Fuji GFX100 Medium Format Details
I’ve talked about this in my other blog articles, but I’m still amazed at being able to go outside and shoot medium format in a fast paced and harsh environment. This camera truly is amazing. Here’s a few examples of the full image, but then zoomed in at 100%.
The crop factor that you can get with these files is insane. Lot’s of flexibility and options with these files. Again, I’m truly impressed by the quality and performance of the Fuji GFX100.
That’s all I have to say right now. I’ll be back with another blog post soon. Any recommendations for my next topic? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.
Jon Erlien is the Creative Design Manager at Mercury Marine and Freelance Portrait & Commercial photographer based out of Sheboygan, WI. You can follow his work on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn & Pinterest.