We’ve been inspired by street photography for as long as either of us can remember, but it was roughly ten years ago that we started to create some for ourselves. The spark to experiment – initially very casually – was not just as a result of our long-standing interest in the genre. It was principally the acquisition of what seemed like an interesting daily-use camera – the newly-released FUJIFILM X100.
A few years later, the FUJIFILM X-T1’s arrival sparked further forays into the artform. The compact powerhouse was even used during weddings, for shots where discretion was of the utmost importance.
Photos 2022 © York Place Studios | FUJIFILM X-Pro2 and XF23mmF1.4 R, 1/500 sec at F8, ISO 800
But when the FUJIFILM X-Pro2 landed in 2016, it’s fair to say it was a game-changer in our eyes. This was a camera that became not just sometimes-street and occasional pro-use – this was the replace-all system that allowed us to unify the two different approaches to our work. The X-Pro2 presented us not only with a perfect street photography form, but with the dual-card slots, fast focus, top-notch lenses and professional capabilities required to also be our primary wedding camera.
In short, the camera removed certain obstacles. It was compact and lightweight. The rear screen released us from the constraints of the viewfinder, and the photography experience simply became more fun. We had the freedom to create the way we always wanted – incorporating street influences into our wedding images, and injecting colour, subtle characterisation and layering into photographs.
Photos 2022 © York Place Studios | FUJIFILM X-Pro2 and XF23mmF1.4 R, 1/500 sec at F8, ISO 800 | FUJIFILM X-Pro2 and XF23mmF1.4 R, 1/4000 sec at F8, ISO 800
It’s fair to say we haven’t looked back, using X Series cameras for all of our work ever since, and even unexpectedly becoming FUJIFILM X-Photographer brand ambassadors in the process.
So, to celebrate the official 10th anniversary of the FUJIFILM X Mount system, we’ve compiled some of our favourite photographs throughout this article, covering every year since that memorable release of the X-Pro2 in 2016.