Ines Thomsen
Ines Thomsen is an Austrian photographer who was born in Linz in 1984. She has been professionally active for several years in a quest for unique, previously unseen and spectacular photos for her clients in advertising, fashion and social responsibility projects.
This involves not only technique but especially the positive energy that connects Ines to her compositions and subjects. Her photographs employ this special creative tension to give expression to the natural, uninhibited, profound and often imperceptible beauty of a subject.
Ines began her career for deeply personal reasons: a tumor diagnosis at age 23. The then-flight attendant determined to give her life a new meaning and to do only what would truly give her pleasure. Following her recovery, she attended the Prager Photo School and participated in international workshops.
In addition to portrait, lifestyle and corporate photography, her specialities also include work in the fascinating world of kids fashion. To win the hearts of children, to capture their emotions and joy, the photographer must often face unusually demanding sessions.
DAS BIN iCH, a new project where Ines takes pictures of breast cancer patients as a platform for them to express their beauty and strength. Some of these patients, in turn, experience these sessions to have therapeutical benefits. The collective DAS BIN iCH has won the “2020 My Aid” award for the outstanding work they have done.
Listening, patience, understanding, pleasure and the highest standards are the values that mark working with Ines.
Ines Thomsen’s portrait photography transcends mere visual aesthetic. Through the window of the FUJIFILM X-T5, she peers into her subjects’ hidden depths
Far more than any other genre, portrait photography is an opportunity for intimate interaction. Coming face to face with complex, living subjects, photographers invested in this unique imaging pursuit must navigate these figurative waters with great care.
It’s easy to focus on an individual’s surface appearance – but look with a considered perspective, through carefully thought out photography lighting, and you may just achieve emotive scenes like Ines Thomsen.
For her, portraiture was a natural fit, and the journey into professional photography itself was a celebration of life.
Becoming a Portrait Photographer
“When I was 23, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour,” Ines begins. “I always wanted to be a photographer – not necessarily as a job, but I loved to make pictures. I planned to buy a real camera when I was older, when I had more money, then suddenly I didn’t know how much time I had left.
“I was super lucky. I had surgery and survived, but had to stay home for two years to recover. As soon as I was well enough to go into the city, my mom took me to the camera store and got me my first system. That’s how it all started – I wasn’t waiting for anything anymore.”
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T2 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1/250 sec at F5.6, ISO 200
People were an immediate appeal for Ines. She began creating images at every opportunity, then took a short course to learn a more technical approach.
“I was blown away,” she recalls. “A friend I’d met through photography told me about an even longer course lasting four semesters. I’m so grateful she pushed me into it. After three semesters, I had to decide whether to continue studying or follow a number of jobs I’d been offered. I went for the jobs.”
Fuelled by a desire for connection, Ines soon discovered FUJIFILM X Series, which stripped down previous barriers between her and the people on the other side of the lens.
“I couldn’t work with huge DSLRs any more. It just wasn’t fun,” Ines explains. “I got my hands on the FUJIFILM X-T1 back in 2016 and immediately realised the freedom I’d got back. It changed my approach to photography completely and opened up so many new perspectives.
“In my work, the most important thing is the interaction with the model in front of me –creating portraits comes naturally as soon as a person trusts you. X Series plays a big role in that. The technical part just has to work – and it does. I can rely on my equipment.”
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR, 1/160 sec at F2.5, ISO 320
How to Connect With Portrait Subjects
In seeing Ines’s seemingly boundless charisma, it seems more apparent than ever that connection is an innate skill – present, or not, by luck of the draw. At least in the context of portrait photography, however, Ines disagrees. Through dedication to the craft and persistent practice, the ability to make a subject unfurl can be harnessed by all.
“I always make time to create a nice atmosphere for people,” the photographer acknowledges. “My studio is more like a living room, with a couch and lots of natural light. And compliments are important – but real, meaningful ones. Let people know what you admire about them, and when it comes from a genuine place, they’ll believe it.
“Then, don’t start photographing immediately. Wait. Talk to your subject. Try to work out their interests. Once you hit upon something personal, now you’re in an exchange, and you immediately see their posture relax and their expression brighten.
“When the camera does come out, I always let subjects stay seated. Unless they’re a trained model, people don’t know how to pose or what to do with their hands. Throughout, I tell them what I’m doing: how I’m setting the lights or what changes I’m making on the camera. When I’m not actively taking pictures, I don’t point a lens at people.”
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR, 1/125 sec at F2.8, ISO 400
Portrait Photography Lighting and Composition
Visually, Ines’s portraits are a reflection of their creation. Facades are washed away and the revealing look at the individual in frame is presented simply, beautifully and in deserving detail. Close, uncluttered compositions are met most often with soft, even light.
“The first light I set up is always flattering,” Ines explains, “never hard light. Using a soft source from the front eliminates any risk. If you create too bold a look early on, there’s a chance your subject may not like the way they appear, and if that happens early, the trust is hard to recover. Try available light from a window with a white mesh curtain, or an artificial source with a softbox.
“Because the subject is most important to me, I try not to frame a lot of distractions around them,” Ines continues. “Details in a composition can be nice, but in portrait photography, as soon as they detract from the person, it doesn’t work.
“One other technique is to ask someone how they take a selfie. When they show me, it’s great, because now I know their favourite side and perspective. That can inform your composition and lighting.”
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T4 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1/160 sec at F4.5, ISO 200
For many portrait photographers, a suite of artificial light sources is a must for creating elaborate looks and achieving full control over a scene. Expert as she is in portrait photography lighting tools, Ines prefers to acknowledge practical advantages while assuring that arresting results aren’t contingent on kit.
“Professionally, if you want to take pictures at any time – say if a customer needs to sit for business portraits at night because they’re busy during the day – you can’t do that naturally. Continuous lights or strobes also help you create a completely uniform set of pictures. But I feel it’s more important to understand the qualities of light. When you understand light as a concept, you can work with any source.”
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1/250 sec at F1.2, ISO 200
The Best Camera and Lens for Portrait Photography
Ines’s approach to camera and lens selection for portraiture is comparably simple. Beyond the practical benefits of X Series’ compact design, she looks to the supreme 40-megapixel resolving and in-camera look adjustments of the FUJIFILM X-T5 – perfect for portraits.
“I always make pictures the way they’re supposed to look,” she notes. “A photo intended to be monochrome would look very different photographed in colour pre-edit, and that’s not what I want a customer to see. The ACROS+Y Film Simulation is my go-to for black & white portrait photography. For colour, I love CLASSIC CHROME.
Photo 2023 © Ines Thomsen | FUJIFILM X-T4 and FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD, 1/200 sec at F5.6, ISO 200
“The other thing I appreciate about the X-T5 is how much it steadies my process. I don’t fire off 120 frames and trust one is going to be fine – it’s not my way of working. This is an incredibly fast camera, but when I want to, I can take the time and care to adjust all my settings in a tactile way.”
With plenty of well-equipped portrait lenses to choose from within X Series, Ines has settled on a mix of old and new.
“My preferred portrait lens is the FUJINON XF56mmF1.2 R APD. It’s funny – I was so in love with it for so long that I never thought about anything newer. Then I got my hands on the FUJINON XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR and it was a revelation. The autofocus was so fast and the optical development was incredible. Today, I enjoy working with both.”
Ines’s final thoughts concern – in typical fashion – those around her. Not subjects, but collaborators. In a predominantly solo endeavour, she urges photographers to find specialists in the broader workflow.
“Other professionals are so valuable,” she concludes. “I work with the same two post-production and makeup artists. I can do those, but I’m not good at them. Were I to try, the overall quality of the photographs would never be the same.
“Ask yourself, what’s your absolute passion? Don’t waste time on anything but your dream,” Ines adds, leaving a thought for us to ponder as fellow photographers.