Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: stevenfr on February 21, 2019, 01:33:53 pm

Title: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 21, 2019, 01:33:53 pm
I thought to share with you some my new portfolio of images from Hokkaido Japan. This was a two week trip including travel and it was my second trip to this area. Although, this year I concentrated on different areas than my last trip.

All images are shot with the Phase One XF and the IQ4 150 back. I find it interesting that during this shoot, I used all of my Schneider lenses that I took with me. The 45mm, 55mm, 80mm, 100mm, 150mm, 240mm and the TC to give me 300mm.

If you have the time to look, please let me know if you have any feedback.

I will post more images in a few days.

Steven
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: araucaria on February 24, 2019, 07:42:59 am
Beautiful, the third one is Impressive!
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 24, 2019, 08:58:44 am
Thank you
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: eronald on February 24, 2019, 05:31:44 pm
Nice pix!

Edmund
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 24, 2019, 07:40:53 pm
An excellent set.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 24, 2019, 08:49:03 pm
Thank you Eric and Edmund
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: John R on February 24, 2019, 09:10:42 pm
Outstanding set! The last one in particular is a fine example illustrating how shallow depth of field can tell a story while creating a wonderful impression. I don't see a lot of this kind of technique done so well and effectively.

JR
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 24, 2019, 09:34:58 pm
Thank you John. It was a real struggle to make the sunflower shot work. I am pleased you like it.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: bwana on February 24, 2019, 11:58:57 pm
Phenomenal! I can only imagine what is was like trudging in 1 meter of powder with all that equipment. How did you even manage to set up a tripod? I've been twice and it's the best skiing I've ever done. Coming across a fumarole in the middle of an expanse of powder was a spiritual experience. And the onsen were unforgettable.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 25, 2019, 12:07:29 am
Thank you. The issue that was the most difficult was the cold and wind. Fingers were frozen in seconds. The other issue for me is I am celiac. Gluten free was a bit tough. I mostly ate rice and raw fish.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: NancyP on February 25, 2019, 12:15:12 pm
Lovely! I especially like #3 winter's embrace composition. #4: birds must have picked the flowers clean already, as no birds are in photo
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on February 25, 2019, 03:30:14 pm
Hi Nancy

Thanks for the feedback. I never though about the birds eating the seeds in the sunflower image. It was January and my guess is the birds cleaned the flowers of anything they would eat and headed south for warmer temperatures.

Steven
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Balafre on April 05, 2019, 04:21:24 pm
Fabulous. I especially like the wind-blown snow adhered to the full lengths of the tree trunks in Image 1. It's very lyrical. The snow and bark creates a lovely rhythm, akin indeed to a piano keyboard! Thank you for sharing them.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 05, 2019, 07:12:30 pm
Thank you Balafre. I just finished a 43” x 57” print of image number one. Check it out.

Steven
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: BAB on April 06, 2019, 09:52:25 am
Nice to see someone else prints their images! I always wanted to go to the east and make images in winter. How did you decide where to go? Did you have any issues accessing private property? Did someone that lives there show you around?


Thanks


Nice images by the way.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 06, 2019, 10:05:03 am
BAB we did some research on the net to find areas to visit. Mostly, we used google maps before we left and wandered around and marked locations on a gps. After two trips we have over 250 gps points of interest. We had no local guide. I think they would of killed me if they had to put up with my way of shooting.

The snow is very deep, crossing private property is something I would not do. We used a Toyota land cruiser. The snow can be very deep.

Thanks for the feedback. You can see all the images from this area on my website in two portfolios Winter Zen and Winter Zen 2
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: peterv on April 06, 2019, 10:11:39 am
Thanks for sharing, very nice work, I enjoyed watching it.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 06, 2019, 11:22:28 am
Thank you Peterv
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Balafre on April 08, 2019, 07:08:29 pm
Fabulous! Nothing beats a b.i.g. print of a beautiful shot. We owe it to the subjects and ourselves to print our work as it's the consummation of our art. Thanks again!
I run an XF+IQ3/100 and am tempted to take it into snow - any issues with weather sealing or rapid battery consumption? Did you take any special protective measures? (for the gear of course, not yourself!)
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 08, 2019, 08:59:48 pm
Thank you Balafre. There were no issues that made it difficult with the Phase setup in snow. The IQ4 consumed batteries faster compared to the iq3 100. Not really an issue. I used one extra body every day compared to my friend shooting the iq3 100.

Last year I had a bit of an issue with the iq3 100 when temperatures reached -26c before wind chill. That is damn cold. The camera would cycle on and off after about 45 minutes. When I returned I sent the XF body back to P1. They replaced one of the boards, absolutely no issues this year. My friend had an xf IQ3 100 for both trips and he had no issues at all. My wife held an umbrella for me, it helped a bit. The issue was most days we had blizzard conditions with vertical snow and lots of wind. I had a camping towel that I used to protect the camera.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 09, 2019, 01:34:01 pm
Bcooter, thanks for the kind feedback. 
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Christoph B. on April 09, 2019, 04:09:44 pm
Beautiful results!

I wonder how you felt carrying all those lenses with you, though. I'm slightly sweating just thinking about carrying more than 2-3 lenses on a hike with the rest of my Phase One gear - wouldn't you have prefered something like the 40-80mm and 75-150mm instead of the 45mm, 55mm 80mm, 100mm and 150mm to save some space and weight?
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 09, 2019, 05:15:02 pm
Christoph B Thanks for the feedback. For me its about the quality of the print. I feel that the prime lenses are always better than a zoom lens at sharpness. As well, prime lenses are easier to figure out the nodal point for stitching. My pack weighs 36lbs. Not to bad considering it used to weigh over 50 lbs when I carried two camera systems a Pentax 67 II and a Horseman 617.

As I get older maybe I will see the light and get the zooms. For now its just about getting the best print possible.

Steven
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Christoph B. on April 09, 2019, 08:54:30 pm
I get that and as I said - the results really speak for themselves! :)

Besides it wouldn't be that much lighter and shooting with a prime is quite often a very different experience to shooting with a zoom lens.
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: stevenfr on April 09, 2019, 10:30:46 pm
Christoph

Thank you.

Another thought is the zoom lenses are big and heavy. There might be less lenses for the focal length, but the lens on the camera is a bit heavy and awkward in my opinion compared to a prime. Zoom lenses make you lazy the prime really makes me work to find the right spot to take the photo.

Steven
Title: Re: Hokkaido Japan 2019 Images - Phase One IQ4 150
Post by: Balafre on April 14, 2019, 06:37:09 pm
Thank You! Safe Travels!