7 minute read

Beneath the Surface

Submerged in the crystalline waters of Oahu’s North Shore, Ben Ono and Cas Swift deliver editorial magic with FUJIFILM GFX100S

When we envisage fashion photography, first thoughts are not of models strewn across volcanic rocks, standing finely coated in golden sands, or floating ghostlike in the ocean’s gentle swell – but one glance at Ben Ono and Cas Swift’s recent series is enough to illustrate what such compelling imagery can create. Arriving at Waimea Bay, Hawaii, as soft, golden rays began to form a spring morning, the duo prepared to make magic.

For producer Cas, the day was a first opportunity to bring a story entirely of his own imagining to fruition. For Ben, a seasoned photographer, it marked the coming together of two specialties. “I do a lot within this industry,” he explains.

“There are so many exciting chances. I love editorial, but my true passion is photographing in the ocean. This collection was a perfect excuse to combine both, alongside Fujifilm and AquaTech – and create something you couldn’t necessarily do in any other part of the world.”

Perched on a rock on the edge of the sea

Photo 2022 © Ben Ono | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, 1/1700 sec at F4, ISO 1000

With a stunning backdrop established, there was plenty of creative direction to build. “One of our goals was simply to create a unique experience. We wanted something captivating. The whole look was designed to be a dreamlike trance for the viewer,” Cas describes.

“It was cool that we didn’t have a strict vision for the end product,” Ben adds. “We did piece together a lot of references, but some of what we did hadn’t been explored much before. Our team developed something more or less different, within the fashion world. And you just have to let yourself experiment with an idea like this, because you can’t predict whether the water will be clear, if there will be waves, or where other beachgoers are going to be.”

All-important fashion elements fed into the dreamscape perfectly. “Our friend and stylist, Lindsey, wanted to incorporate strong color contrast against the blue water, and textures that would move nicely in the current. She created looks with bold and non-traditional swimwear. There were sequins, iridescent beading, and other dramatic pieces that brought the talent’s inner mermaid to life,” Cas says.

A woman walking on the bottom of the ocean

Photo 2022 © Ben Ono | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1/640 sec at F4, ISO 160

“The particular camera we were set to use was definitely a factor in that decision making,” Ben continues. “Lots of ideas were based around FUJIFILM GFX100S, with its 100 megapixels and 16-bit depth. We wanted clothing that would really pop, utilizing the camera’s capabilities. Lindsey fully executed that.”

Picture making in such a setting does not follow the meticulously crafted and highly procedural process of typical editorial work. Lighting is difficult to manage and model direction must be delivered between heaving breaths on the water’s surface.

Years in, Ben knows the facts better than most: “There’s something about a tropical island’s golden hour that you just can’t beat. Then, for underwater photography, you ideally want a higher angle of the sun. We did have some scrims, in case the light became too harsh, but one thing I love about the GFX System is the dynamic range. I like to document as many scenes shot as possible in a short amount of time, with minimal setup. Having a camera like GFX100S, I can just get to work, without worrying about the shadows or highlights being lost.

A woman peering round a rock

Photo 2022 © Ben Ono | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR, 1/2500 sec at F4, ISO 1000

“Underwater, I tend to direct for whatever will produce the most natural, fluid movements – but we were freediving, so your opportunities are only as long as you can hold your breath for, and there’s no normal communication. Thankfully, our local model was super-talented. You could really just point a camera at her and she’d do her thing. But we decided to go for a more direct-to-camera look than you’d often see. There’s some breaking of the fourth wall and acknowledging the spectator through the machine.”

For Ben, the untamable quality of mother nature adds so much to the process.

“A lot goes into a session like this ahead of time. There’s styling, and of course you want things to look a certain way. But what I enjoy most about the water is, something always comes as a surprise. You can’t ever photograph a wave or ripple the same way twice, and you never know exactly how the sun is going to filter through the surface. Whenever I get into the editing room and see the selection of images, something is guaranteed to astound me.”

View of a boat on the surface of the ocean from the bottom

Photo 2022 © Ben Ono | FUJIFILM GFX100S and GF30mmF3.5 R WR, 1/3000 sec at F4.5, ISO 200

“There are a lot of variables,” Cas picks up. “You do have to make sure everyone is alert and aware. Ben is a total professional and we had water safety in place. We were diving off rocks and doing all kinds of things, so there were technical difficulties, like garments coming off. But all in all, it was a very fun day.

“One of the biggest issues has always been color shifting underwater,” the photographer continues, as conversation moves to his tools. “A lot of images are tinted blue. Having the latitude to go in and move that towards the warmer tones, without the image breaking down, is great. I often used the Film Simulations as a starting point. They’re very accurate to Fujifilm stocks I’ve used before, which is awesome to see in a digital space.

“I also highly value GFX100S’s IBIS. It’s all handheld – there are no tripods underwater,” he grins. “In my line of work, you want to rely on your camera, to either blow an image up to a huge size, or perform any adjustments you want in post. That was the biggest positive for me.”

What of lens choice? “Underwater, I tend to stay a little bit wider to showcase the landscape,” Ben explains. “A lot of the images were made using FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR. You don’t want to be too far from your subject – especially if the water isn’t at its clearest. I don’t think you’d typically see a physically closer portrait, but even with that wider scope, we didn’t feel there would be much warping of the model’s face.

“On land, I really loved the compression of GF110mmF2 R LM WR. With the large format sensor, the images are beautifully graphical. You really notice the camera’s detail in those tighter focal lengths, too. I’d focus on a subject’s eyeball and feel like I was looking right into their soul.”

Of course, in this realm, any camera is entirely reliant on waterproof housing – a consideration not lost on Ben. With his tempest of passion, giving this image maker a large format sensor to use beneath the waves is akin to handing Picasso a more colorful palette.

“This development with AquaTech is huge,” he effuses. “You see things in the ocean that most people only dream of. It’s a different world down there. I’m blown away that we can photograph it all in such quality now. I’ve been doing this for a decade, and when I started, all we had were action cameras.

“The housings themselves have also come a long way. At first, they were essentially a bubble. It was basically only about keeping the water out – you didn’t have access to the controls. But with these new pro housings, like the one AquaTech has created for GFX100S, you can access 90% of the camera settings in the water. You can submerge and do just about everything you would do on land.”

With the project now behind them – but plenty of beauty upon the Hawaiian horizon ahead – Cas couldn’t be more thrilled by the results.

“Production takes a tribe,” he surmises. “We owe it to the whole crew. I’m just glad to be on this island, creating magic. Seeing our vision come to life is a beautiful thing.”

Discover AquaTech’s comprehensive selection of Fujifilm housings today. Click here for more info!


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