6 minute read

Desert Boost

How Bryan Minear harnessed the power of FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR to reveal hidden beauty in Death Valley’s dramatic vistas

“I’ve been wanting to photograph in Death Valley for a very long time,” begins landscape specialist Bryan Minear. “For me, it’s a sort of paradise.” Anyone familiar with those scorched lands, baked in the eastern Californian sun might raise an eyebrow at the comparison. It’s one of the hottest places on the planet, temperatures regularly top 120ºF in the summer – and the arid landscape is scoured by punishing winds, whipping up the sand and dust. Surely it’s no friend of the photographer?

“OK, it’s not the leafy appeal of Yosemite or Sequoia,” Bryan continues, defending these traditional Badlands. “But it has a beauty all its own. The bleakness and harshness are integral to that, and there’s real elegance to the rock formations, sand dunes, and wide-open plateaus. It’s a raw place, and just as raw an experience to photograph here, both visually and physically. We were sandblasted by 50mph winds, sleeping in tents pitched on the gravel… but when you see the opportunities, it’s like Disneyland for landscapers.”

It’s here that Bryan has come to test FUJIFILM X-H2S, along with FUJINON XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR. “The fact that I had this camera paired with the new super-telephoto zoom is the main reason I chose this location,” he explains. “There are some epic views here that work much better through longer lenses. I use telephotos a lot, and that really started when making images close to home. The selectivity and compression they allow lets me juxtapose layers of the landscape in a way that wide-angles just don’t.”

It’s an approach that ties closely with his job as a graphic designer. “My work often means looking for simplicity and clarity,” Bryan explains. “In landscaping, a big part of that comes from finding compositions within a wider scene. I’m always looking for that perfect framing, and when working wide, it’s normal to have compromises creeping into view. With a telephoto, it’s the opposite. I can achieve what my eye wants by compressing elements that are actually miles apart – nitpicking every little, tiny nook and cranny until I have full creative control.”

These desert views, combined with the new camera and lens, were also a chance for Bryan to explore one of his central motivations. “I like experiences that make me think in different ways,” he says. “I never want to be set in how I make pictures. Anytime I get a chance to challenge and push myself, or approach something differently, I jump at it. It helps me grow as an artist.”

Sand Dune in shadow

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/340 sec at F8, ISO 160

“For instance, although I’m comfortable using lenses like XF100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR for landscapes, pushing that out to 600mm is a whole new experience. It’s so magnified, I really needed to retrain my eye, looking for ever smaller windows into the scene and finding these magnificent details that are almost unseen from a regular view.” One such image, composed at 560mm, ranked amongst his favorites from the trip. It featured sand blowing from the crest of a dune, framed by shimmering mountains.

Waves of sand in the dunes

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/80 sec at F9, ISO 160

In another view, this time at 600mm, the light of the desert shifts between cool shadow and warm highlight, as a dune rises from the landscape towards the setting sun. “I loved the little lines of blueish light in the foreground, before they warm into bright orange,” he enthuses. It’s totally typical of the results you can get with that lens if you’re hunting for these tiny, almost abstract compositions.”

At other times, the hugely magnified view reveals atmospheric effects like heat haze, giving a truer sense of the environment. “As an example, one of our party was traveling in a different vehicle, trailing a little behind. So, at one point I pulled out the 150-600mm to check he was still behind us. That’s when I got that really exaggerated sense of the heat as it distorted the view, rippling the details of his van. I mean, that could be seen as a drawback in some situations, but if you want a flavor of this deadly beautiful place, it certainly gives it.”

Black and white sand dunes

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/200 sec at F16, ISO 160

While many of his sandy compositions were taken around golden hour, the desert does offer versatility. “It can be more forgiving with timings than other locations. What’s interesting about dunes is you can work on them all day long, even if it’s harsh and contrasty, because that brings out all their texture and contours, showing off the way their lines intersect and overlap. I think you can make a lot of different and exciting compositions here, and it worked particularly well with the X-H2S monochrome Film Simulation modes.”

Sun in the sand dunes

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/400 sec at F9, ISO 160

Using a pre-production FUJIFILM X-H2S, Bryan wasn’t able to process RAW files, but that didn’t hold him back during his time with the camera. “The new X-Trans 5 sensor certainly coped perfectly with those high-contrast situations, and the JPEGS I got were fantastic. I was actually surprised at how much latitude even the JPEGs had, which meant I could play with them and easily put my own stamp on the colors and tones.”

Ripples of sand

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/90 sec at F16, ISO 160

With a generous handgrip and in-body image stabilization, Bryan also found X-H2S made light work of using lenses as long as XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR. “Even though the lens felt well balanced with the camera, the grip allows greater purchase, and therefore more stable picture taking. I confess, I was never too excited by IBIS, but having got used to it on my FUJIFILM GFX100S, it’s now a real requirement for me. Twinned with the OIS feature in the lens, the only time I thought about using a tripod was for video or time-lapse situations.

Sand dune mountains

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/60 sec at F8, ISO 160

“Of course, video is also central to what X-H2S provides,” he continues. “The footage I got was incredible. I was using 4K at 120fps, so I could get that smooth flow in editing, but the 1080p at 240fps mode is going to be huge for nature photographers, too. The new F-Log2 profile is great for high-contrast or super-bright situations like these desert views, because it expands the dynamic range, and lets you recover highlights and shadows.”

Wind on the dunes

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/320 sec at F10, ISO 160

Leaving the badlands and heading back towards Sierra Nevada, Bryan was certainly pleased by FUJIFILM X-H2S and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, seeing the former as a perfect tool for content creators. “It’s really freeing to have one camera that can deliver in both roles, switching between them seamlessly, and that is the real value of a hybrid body. While I made mainly stills on my days in Death Valley, having X-H2S meant I could also add some extra dimension with video, like the sand blowing off the dune or the heat haze that shows the extremity of this place.”

Undulating dunes

Photo 2022 © Bryan Minear | FUJIFILM X-H2S camera and XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR, 1/140 sec at F16, ISO 160

“That flexibility is really valuable in an age where travel photography might need a social package to promote it. For that reason, X-H2S really does promise content creation without compromise.”

Shop FUJIFILM X-H2S and read the full specifications here. Shop FUJINON XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR and read the full specifications here.


More from this series...


CREATE/SEND/SHARE

see your image on our Social Channels

Share your image and story with us for a chance to be featured.

Success.
Please select an image
What would you like to share about this image and why would you like to share it?

Consumer Submission Terms and Conditions:

MY FUJIFILM LEGACY MEMORY
1. AGREEMENT TO THESE TERMS AND THE FUJIFILM PRIVACY POLICY: BY UPLOADING A SUBMISSION (as hereafter defined) AND CLICKING YOUR AGREEMENT TO THESE TERMS ON THE SITE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND, WITHOUT LIMITATION OR QUALIFICATION, TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND THE PRIVACY POLICY, AVAILABLE AT https://www.fujifilm.com/privacy_policy/?_ga=2.188005036.507021620.1563365952-1582032552.1552994675. Any information contained in a Submission, including image, contact information such as physical address and email address, and any other personal information submitted, will be used in accordance with FUJIFILM North America Corporation’s (“FNAC”) Privacy Policy and these Terms & Conditions. Each Submitter acknowledges that submission pursuant to these Terms and Conditions constitutes the necessary and proper permission for FNAC’s use of his or her Submission pursuant to these terms and the Privacy Policy. In addition, by uploading a Submission on the Site, each Submitter represents and warrants that he or she is at least 13 years of age. Yes, I’d like to receive more information regarding FUJIFILM products and services via e-mail (e.g. by newsletter or other marketing communication). I also agree that FUJIFILM North America can use my contact data in accordance with its Privacy Policy to inform me about FUJIFILM products and services by e-mail.

2. IMAGE AND PHOTO DESCRIPTION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
A. Each photo submission (each, along with the required submission form and any provided description, a "Submission") that you as the Submitter determines to submit to FNAC must be uploaded to the submission website at http://www.fujifilm-x.com/en-us/ShareMyFujifilmLegacy (the “Site”) and accompanied by a fully completed submission form located on the Site. Each submitted photo may be no larger than 10 MB, no longer than 2000 pixels in the longest dimension, and it must be formatted as a JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, or BMP. Any description you provide relating to the image may be no more than 1500 characters, including spaces. The Submission may reflect any topic or subject matter, but must be the original work of the providing Submitter, and must depict an original photographic creation. The Submission must have been captured using a FUJIFILM X Series camera and lens (i.e. any FUJIFILM XF or XC lens) or GFX System camera and lens (i.e. any GFX lens).

B. No commitment is made by FNAC to review, consider or post any Submission, and FNAC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deem any Submission as inappropriate, unworthy, or unsuitable for posting for any reason, and at any time with no obligation to inform, explain, or justify its reasoning


C. The Submission(s) must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any third party person or entity, and by uploading a Submission you represent and warrant that: (a) the Submission is your personal, sole, and original creation and has not been derived from, reproduced, or copied in whole or in part from any work by a third party person or entity; (b) the Submission does not violate or infringe any intellectual property right of any kind, including but not limited to any copyright, trademark, trade name, publicity right, or other proprietary right of any person or entity; (c) the Submission is your personal, sole, and exclusive property; (d) any person(s) depicted in the image has given his or her approval for the submission; and (e) no person or property depicted in the image is depicted in a misleading, misrepresentative, or false fashion;


D. The Submission(s) and its title and description are subject to the following content guidelines, and may not, in any instance, in FNAC’s judgment:


(i) Contain, depict, reflect, promote or endorse nudity, profanity, obscenity or pornography; content that is sexually explicit or suggestive, violent, derogatory, disparaging, or defaming; or potentially hazardous content, behavior or activities;

(ii) Contain, depict, reflect, promote or endorse the sale, distribution, possession, use, or abuse of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, firearms, knives or other weapons; or any particular social or political agenda, issue or message;

(iii) Appear to duplicate or replicate a previously received Submission;

(iv) Contain, depict, reflect, promote or endorse any third party owned trademarks, logos, copyrights, images, or trade dress (such as clothing bearing a distinctive logo, a third party’s artwork, or materials from movies or published in other media) including third party products;

(v) Contain, depict, or reflect any identifying information relating to any person depicted, (such as license plate numbers, personal names, email addresses or street addresses), and including any likeness or other information of famous individuals (such as past or present celebrities or public figures, or individuals impersonating them);

(vi) Contain, depict, reflect, promote, endorse or communicate content inconsistent with the reputation and corporate image FNAC and/or FUJIFILM Corporation wish to communicate; and/or

(vii) Violate any law, or reflect, advocate or promote any activity that may violate any law.

Submissions determined by FNAC to violate any of the above content guidelines are subject to rejection. FNAC reserves the right to take all necessary measures to remove any given Submission as it deems appropriate in any given instance, and/or to change any Submission title or description provided at any time and for any reason.


E. If the Submission(s) contains, reflects or incorporates any materials, content or elements that are subject to the rights of third parties, the Submitter is responsible for obtaining, prior to providing the Submission, any and all releases, permissions and consents necessary to permit the use and posting of the Submission by FNAC and its parent and affiliate companies (including without limitation, FUJIFILM Corporation). This includes obtaining the written release, permission and consent to use any name, image, likeness or property of any person who, or items that appear in or are identifiable in the Submission(s). Where a minor appears in or is identifiable in any given Submission, the Submitter is responsible to put a written release, consent and permission into place with the appropriate parent or guardian of such minor. FNAC reserves the right to request documentation reflecting these releases, permissions and consents from any Submitter at any time, and to undertake measures to remove the posting of any given Submission(s) pending receipt of such documentation.


3. LICENSE FOR FNAC TO POST AND POSTING GUIDELINES: Upon submitting a Submission, each Submitter grants to FNAC, its parent and affiliate companies, a royalty free, irrevocable, perpetual and worldwide right and license (but without any right of sublicense) to modify, adapt, and reproduce the Submission, and to use and display the Submission, in whole or in part, either (i) on the FNAC Instagram (@fujifilmx_us), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FujifilmXUS), or Twitter (@FujifilmX_US) Account, as a social media post; or (ii) on a FNAC or parent/affiliate company website (such as, without limitation, www.fujifilm-x.com), including without limitation, as a homepage banner. Submitter understands that any use made of the Submission will be commercial in nature, and may be in connection with the promotion of a FUJIFILM branded product. This right and license is granted in return for FNAC’s review and consideration of the Submission and in return for the potential opportunity for publicity resulting from FNAC’s posting and tagging of the Submission, and without any right or expectation of the Submitter to receive any further compensation (directly or indirectly) of any kind. FNAC and its parent and affiliate companies shall have no obligation to provide further notice to, or to obtain any further approval from, the Submitter. All Submission postings to be made by FNAC will be subject to the following posting guidelines:


A. If FNAC posts any given Submission, FNAC will use commercially reasonable efforts to credit the Submission on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by tagging the Submitter’s handle as provided to FNAC through the Site. FNAC will credit each Submission on the FNAC website with the Submitter’s first name and last initial, and Instagram handle if and as applicable. If city and state information is provided, FNAC may reference that information as well in connection with any given Submission posting. Note that FNAC does not guarantee that any given Submission will be posted.


B. FNAC is not responsible for any unauthorized third party use of any Submission. Without limitation, this includes any copying, reproduction, distribution, re-postings, forwarding, linking to, or re-publication made by any third party at any time.


C. FNAC shall have the right to modify each Submission, including but not limited to, altering, and editing any provided description. By uploading a Submission, each Submitter agrees that he or she shall have no right of approval, no claim to additional compensation and no claim (including without limitation, claims based upon invasion of privacy, defamation, right of publicity or copyright) arising out of any use, alteration, modification, editing of any or all of the Submission.


4. FUJIFILM SITE CONTENT AND PROPERTY: The trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, designs, images, and content at any time displayed on the Site, including but not limited to FUJIFILM, INSTAX, FinePix, BUILD YOUR LEGACY, any other trademarks, logos, designs, and intellectual property and the FNAC posted content and images, shall at all times be the sole property of FNAC and/or its parent and affiliates, or shall be the property of third parties (such as any given Submitter) used by FNAC with any necessary and proper permissions in place. Nothing contained on the Site should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right for any Submitter, or any third party, to use any trademark, service mark, logo, design, trade name, product name, content or image displayed on the Site without the prior written permission of FNAC. For absolute clarity and without limitation, no Submitter or third party is permitted to post, display, publish, forward, link to or re-publish any images of FNAC or any Submission(s) of any other party unless specifically authorized to do so in writing by FNAC. Neither FNAC nor its parent or affiliate companies are sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or otherwise affiliated or associated with, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform.


5. NO REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, AND LIMIT OF LIABILITY:

A. FNAC DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS RELATING TO THE SITE AND TO ANY IMAGES OR CONTENT POSTED ON THE SITE, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. FNAC ALSO ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY, AND WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR, ANY DAMAGE TO, OR VIRUSES THAT MAY INFECT, ANY SUBMITTER’S OR SITE VISITOR’S COMPUTER EQUIPMENT OR OTHER PROPERTY, OR FOR ANY LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF ANY MATERIALS, IMAGE, CONTENT, OR DATA ON ACCOUNT OF ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR BROWSING IN THE SITE, OR RELATING TO OR BY REASON OF A SUBMITTER’S SUBMISSION OF ANY MATERIALS, IMAGE, CONTENT OR DATA TO THE SITE.

B. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING OR OTHERWISE ANY OTHER PROVISION HEREOF, IN NO EVENT SHALL FNAC'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO ANY SUBMITTER OR SITE VISITOR FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES, CLAIMS, LIABILITIES AND CAUSES OF ACTION (WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY SUCH SUBMITTER OR SITE VISITOR TO FNAC, IF ANY, IN CONNECTION WITH SUBMITTING MATERIALS, IMAGES, CONTENT OR DATA TO THE SITE, OR IN ACCESSING THE SITE, AS APPLICABLE. IN NO EVENT WILL FNAC BE RESPONSIBLE IN ANY INSTANCE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS, LOST OPPORTUNITIES, OVERHEAD OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, LOSS OF USE, OR DAMAGE TO REPUTATION OR GOODWILL) EVEN IF APPRISED OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH DAMAGES.


6. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND TAKE-DOWN PROCEDURE: If you believe in good faith that any material, image, or content appearing on the Site infringes your copyright, then you (or your agent) may send us a written notice that complies with this provision, requesting that the applicable image, or content be removed. Note that by submitting this written notice, you acknowledge and agree that FNAC may forward your written notice (to include your, or your agent’s, personal contact information) and any related communications received by FNAC to the original Submitter of the allegedly infringing content. Furthermore, by submitting this notice, you acknowledge and agree that FNAC’s sole responsibility to you upon receipt of such notice will be to remove the allegedly infringing image or content, and you acknowledge and agree that you will have no further right or remedy against, or as to, FNAC for its original posting of the Submission on the Site, although you may have other rights and remedies as to the Submitter.
Your infringement notice must be sent to [email protected], and must include the following information:


A. A copy of your specific image or copyrighted work that you are claiming has been infringed;
B. identification of the FNAC posted image or content that is claimed to be infringing or the subject of infringing activity, and information reasonably sufficient to allow FNAC to locate such image or content on the Site;
C. the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the complaining copyright owner;
D. a statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the image or content by the original Submitter is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
E. a statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
F. a physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
Within ten (10) business days of receipt of a written notice meeting the above-referenced requirements, FNAC will take down the allegedly infringing image or content, and notify the Submitter of such image or content of your claim / infringement allegation. FNAC will not re-post the removed, allegedly infringing image or content until it receives written notice from the complaining party that the dispute has been resolved. The process outlined in this provision is the exclusive process to be used to complain to, or otherwise advise, FNAC about any infringement of your rights by any Submitter or any Submitted image and/or content posted on the Site.
7. PRIVACY POLICY: Personal information contained in a Submission or otherwise communicated to FNAC will be used in accordance with FNAC’s Privacy Policy, which can be found here: [INSERT LINK TO PRIVACY POLICY]. In addition, and as stated above in Section 6, your contact information may be shared to a party complaining of infringement. By uploading a Submission, you hereby agree to the Privacy Policy.

8. MISCELLANOUS TERMS:

A. By uploading a Submission, a Submitter is communicating with FNAC electronically. Each Submitter consents to receive communications relating to the Submission from FNAC electronically, generally by email. FNAC may communicate by e-mail, or by other electronic methods such as through social media communications. Each Submitter agrees that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that FNAC provides electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

B. All Submissions are administered by FNAC from its offices in Valhalla, New York, United States of America. These Terms and Conditions are governed and interpreted under the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflict of laws provisions. Each Submitter agree that any claim or dispute against FNAC arising out of or relating to the use of the Site must be resolved by a court located in the Eastern District of New York, unless otherwise agreed upon by all parties. Any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to a Submission must be filed within nine (9) months after such claim or cause of action arose, regardless of any statute or law to the contrary. In the event any such claim or cause of action is not filed within such 9 month period, each Submitter specifically agrees that such claim or cause of action shall be forever barred.

C. These Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy, which are part of these Terms and Conditions and are incorporated herein by reference, set forth the entire understanding and agreement between the Submitter and FNAC with respect to a Submission. Each Submitter acknowledge that any other agreements between with respect to a Submission is superseded and of no force or effect. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions shall be determined to be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable by a court or other legal authority of competent jurisdiction, then that provision will be severed from these Terms and Conditions and will be deemed replaced by an equivalent enforceable provision that, as nearly as possible, reflects the intent hereof. The severance of any individual provision of these Terms and Conditions will not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

BY UPLOADING A SUBMISSION, EACH SUBMITTER AGREES
TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
AND THE PRIVACY POLICY.

  • Should be Empty: