GFX100RF: Fine Art x Reuben Wu
Reuben Wu photographs enchanting light sculptures and documents his journey with FUJIFILM GFX100RF
Much of fine art photography is about a single image – a standalone artwork created for its sheer visual beauty. Reuben Wu’s output fits this bill too, and it’s clear at a single breathtaking glance. Unlike many image makers, however, he prefers to share a complete story.
For his most recent project, Thin Places, Reuben took FUJIFILM GFX100RF to Utah’s iconic Salt Flats to photograph not only his latest set of artworks but also the unforgettable experience that surrounded them.
“Imagery of the journey is important, for my own visual diary but also to share these moments which are accompaniments to the hero images,” Reuben begins.
“It’s nice to show there are more innocuous moments around a final image: how you came to find it, how the light changed, details, textures, people. All of that is interesting imagery itself, which allows people to connect more to the work.”
Thanks to GFX100RF, Reuben was able to use a single camera for both aspects of his process. It packs all the beauty and detail of GFX System into a lightweight, rangefinder-style body. It didn’t take long for this photographer to acknowledge the huge creative potential there.
“GFX100RF has been incredibly useful to me, particularly because of its small size and weight,” Reuben explains. “It’s a camera you can just have on you, then pick up quickly to make a picture.
“While scouting, we were out driving and GFX100RF was in my lap, so I could grab it and get the extra images I wanted. I wouldn’t have been able to do that with a bigger camera, which I usually transport in a case.
“The strength of it is, yes, it’s an amazing everyday camera, but it’s also incredible in low light and for making special hero images.”
Using long exposures to record carefully choreographed drone flight patterns, Reuben’s fine art process is a different skill altogether – with different technical demands.
“Just as easily as you can carry GFX100RF all day, you can drop it onto a tripod and make incredibly large, beautiful images at night. I found it a joy to work with.
“I loved the fact that I could just touch the lens ring to manually adjust focus to the distance I wanted. And being able to manually set it to Bulb mode, then use XApp as a remote release, was really good too. Those aren’t steps I’d take for everyday photography, but they were extremely responsive.”
Despite GFX100RF’s sleek design, Reuben found no downsides compared to other GFX System cameras. Its fixed 35mmF4 lens and tactile controls met his professional demands perfectly.
“Having the same 102-megapixel sensor is huge for me because an everyday-sized camera no longer comes with a compromise,” he details.
“There’s no feature I miss from other GFX System cameras. The 35mmF4 fixed lens is a great focal length and was fast enough for my nighttime images. I loved the dials. And the internal ND filter, which I could apply with just one press and create something in full sun, was great – putting on filters is always a pain.”
The camera’s offset electronic viewfinder, aluminum construction, and prominent new features – including a dedicated Aspect Ratio dial – aren’t simply to give creatives a premium experience. They’re also a nod to Fujifilm’s rich heritage, bringing modern convenience to a process lost to time.
“I’ve always loved the rangefinder style. My first camera ever was a rangefinder, so for me it’s the classic camera form,” Reuben enthuses.
“I also liked the machined top-plate. For me, as an ex industrial designer, I get excited by details like that. Then there are the controls, which speak to Fujifilm’s legacy of cameras, but are also tools for modern elements that never used to exist in this way.
Reuben’s summary of his experience is resoundingly positive. He’s left with a vision of a camera that can do it all – a creative companion like no other.
“GFX100RF is an opportunity to bring a single camera out with me, rather than think about one everyday and one hero camera,” he concludes. “Because of the size and the resolution, I’m able to create everything I want – which is huge.”
