Portrait Photography with GF55mmF1.7 R WR | FUJIFILM Exposure Center – USA

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Portrait Photography with GF55mmF1.7 R WR

For characterful portraits and compelling commercial work, context is vital. John Branch IV talks us through making better backgrounds with the new FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR

In every kind of portrait photography, a background can have as much say in success as a subject. Simplicity is often the aim, and it’s true that too fussy or focused a backdrop fights for attention. But that’s by no means the only option. As anyone who has made environmental and lifestyle images knows, a carefully selected scene can breathe real character and connection into a photo.

“The work I’m known for relies heavily on context,” says John Branch IV. A successful wedding, portraiture and commercial photographer, his images combine astute framing with careful and creative choices to produce an easy, informative balance between subject and setting. Now, says John, along with his GFX System cameras, he has the perfect tool in the shape of FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR.

Women posing and smiling in front of green plant with yellow flowers

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/1000 sec at F1.7, ISO 160

“Context is important in almost everything I make, but one of the main examples I use in showing its benefit is weddings,” he explains. “A lot of photographers, at least when starting out, want to frame tight all the time and blow out the background. But a wedding is an event – a moment in time – so everything that surrounds your subject is important. The venue, decoration, guests showing their love and appreciation – it all enriches the image, adds to the story you’re trying to tell, and plays into the photo you’re making.”

Woman sat outside on stairs looking at camera

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/4000 sec at F1.7, ISO 125

It’s the same with regular portraits, advertising, and commercial work featuring people, where elements that tell the viewer something about the subject or simply bring the aesthetics up a level are a big driver. “That includes using leading lines and natural frames to draw the eye, or adding layers of depth to the image through foreground and background detail,” John explains.

“These are more difficult to achieve with a longer lens, but GF55mmF1.7 R WR is the perfect focal length,” he reveals. “Like many portrait and wedding photographers who use GFX System cameras, my go-to lens has long been FUJINON GF80mmF1.7 R WR, but the new lens’s shorter focal length and wider field of view are hands-down perfect for me. I’ll continue using both, but GF55mmF1.7 R WR will get the most use.”

Woman wearing blue jeans and black shirt smiling leaning against wall

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/200 sec at F1.7, ISO 125

Also important to John is connecting viewers to the subjects of his portraits – and for that a standard focal length trumps all others. “GF55mmF1.7 R WR has a perfectly natural view on the GFX System sensor, bringing lots of emotion to scenes where a longer lens might miss that. A shorter focal length means working closer to the subject, so there’s more communication. It can make results from longer lenses seem anonymous. You see that people behave a little differently compared to when you’re standing off in the distance.”

Wider framing than a traditional portrait lens adds kinetic energy and body language to a photo, letting subjects move or interact with the environment in a more compelling and engaging way. “It lets me portray a certain amount of motion,” John explains, “because there’s more room for the subject to express themselves – and more scenery in which they feel physically connected and grounded.”

Woman with black long hair smiling and holding floral umbrella

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/500 sec at F1.7, ISO 160

Working in this way, it’s important the environment is never in danger of taking over, so John often sets up his portraits with a very shallow depth-of-field. This creates a sublime balance, where the softened background never loses its sense of place, but always promotes the subject. “Typically, I’ll make images like this wide open. I used the new lens’s F1.7 maximum a lot here,” John continues, “but the background separation was still a surprise. Honestly, working on this focal length, I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautifully shallow – but it was.”

That level of shallow focus gives his images a distinct and coveted larger format look, according to John. Something that’s not only visually spectacular, but helpful for photographers wanting to attain a point of difference. “It’s an aspirational look,” he explains, “a classic, distinctive mix of natural angle of view with very tight depth-of-field, making subjects look almost three-dimensional – and it’s the reason many people move to GFX System. This new lens will only cement that.”

Woman looking over balcony

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/1000 sec at F1.7, ISO 200

Depth-of-field control also allowed John to step in closer and create more typical half- or quarter-length framings, where the background blur becomes intense. “If I want to get in closer still, I can use the huge resolution of FUJIFILM GFX100S to crop the frame and still end up with a huge, highly detailed image, a way of quickly turning this lens into two useful primes.”

Woman with dark hair smiling for portrait among out-of-focus flowers

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/640 sec at F1.7, ISO 160

With a lens that now perfectly suits his desire for contextual portraits, John believes this new combination has made him more creative – and it can have that effect on other photographers, too. “Working with GF55mmF1.7 R WR, the possibilities of the wider view mean there’s a lot to think about in setting and framing. You notice more opportunities and locations,” he explains. “Some you use straight away, and others you store up for the next project. With longer focal lengths, I’m still paying attention, but it’s more about background color and compression, not so much placement and staging. At 55mm, I’ve become more intentional and observant because I have to be.”

Woman standing among tall plants and trees with hands in pockets

Photo 2023 © John Branch IV | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR, 1/500 sec at F1.7, ISO 160

This has also given him a creative boost. “Working with this new lens felt like I was ‘playing’ again. That’s what photographers want to feel, the energy and stimulation a new tool can give. Weddings and events could quickly become a trudge through repeated image types. But with GF55mmF1.7 R WR, photography felt less like work and more like expression – and that will lead me towards my best photos.”

Shop FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR today. Learn more and read the full specifications here.

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John Branch IV

Raleigh, NC native John Branch is a wedding photographer and Youtube content creator. Specializing in beautiful and candid moments John focuses on bringing out the best of his couples and their amazing wedding days. As an educator, John spends most of his time teaching new and starting ...

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FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR prime lens

FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR

FUJINON GF55mmF1.7 R WR delivers exactly what GFX System users within all genres have been waiting for. This standard prime is exceptionally fast, creating a shallow depth-of-field and providing extra stops of light when the situation demands – and with rugged weather-resistance, the creative potential of GF55mmF1.7 R WR is only expanded. A refined optical design makes the lens an ideal companion for even the most modern GFX System bodies, with pleasing corner-to-corner sharpness and suppression of common flaws.

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