Giulio Di Sturco x GFX100RF
Camargue: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
In the heart of the Camargue, where wetlands stretch as far as the eye can see, time seems to play a delicate balancing act. This unique corner of southern France, nestled in the Rhône Delta, is a landscape full of contrasts, where raw and untamed beauty coexists with centuries-old traditions. Here, life moves at its own rhythm, shaped by water, salt, and the ever-present winds. It’s a place that feels suspended between the echoes of the past and the whispers of an uncertain future.
This was the backdrop for my latest project Camargue: Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow. It’s a story about resilience and transformation, about the people who call this land home, and the delicate balance they’re striving to maintain between heritage and progress. And it was here, amidst galloping horses and shimmering salt flats, that I discovered the perfect companion for my journey: Fujifilm GFX100RF.
The Camargue is no ordinary place. Its vast wetlands are a fragile ecosystem, a paradise for migratory birds, and home to the iconic white horses and black bulls of the region. The People here are just as remarkable: guardians, bull ranchers, salt farmers, and rice growers who have lived and worked on this land for generations.
Yet even here, change is inevitable. Just a stone’s throw away, in the city of Arles, gentrification is reshaping neighborhoods, raising questions about identity and the future. It’s a juxtaposition that feels both poignant and poetic.
Capturing this story demanded a camera that could keep pace with my vision and adapt to the unpredictable nature of the environment. GFX100RF played the most important role here. At first glance, it’s already hard not to fall for its sleek, minimalist design. But as any photographer knows, looks only get you so far. This camera delivers where it truly matters.
With its fixed 35mm lens (equivalent to 28mm on a full-frame), GFX100RF struck the perfect balance for my needs. Whether I was shooting wide landscapes, intimate portraits, or fleeting details, its lens has never disappointed me. Its versatility let me construct a narrative that felt cohesive and immediate. There’s something profoundly liberating about having a single lens to tell a story—it forces you to think, to get creative, to become one with the scene.
The lightness and portability of GFX100RF were game-changers. When you’re wading knee-deep in water to photograph horses thundering through the marshes, every ounce matters. This compact camera allowed me to move freely and get as close as I needed without feeling intrusive. In those moments, I could disappear into the scene, becoming part of the environment. The autofocus? Fast and precise. Nothing escaped my frame, not even the splashing of water as a horse’s hoof collided with the swamp.
And then there’s the image quality. It’s hard to overstate just how stunning the files from this camera are. The dynamic range and color accuracy allowed me to push boundaries in post-processing without ever feeling like I was compromising the integrity of the image. Mistakes, if they happened, were forgiving—the detail and richness in the RAW files provided ample room to recover and refine. Each frame felt like a painting, alive with texture and depth.
One of my favorite moments came during a visit to L’Ecole du Domaine du Possible, an experimental school in the heart of the Camargue. Here, students are learning to merge traditional knowledge with modern innovation. I was documenting a group working on sustainable farming techniques, their hands caked in earth, their eyes lit with determination. GFX100RF excelled in capturing the nuance of these scenes—the interplay of light and shadow, the raw emotion etched on faces. It was as if the camera knew exactly what I wanted, effortlessly translating my vision into reality.
GFX100RF isn’t just a tool; it’s a partner. Its weather resistance gave me the confidence to shoot in challenging conditions without hesitation. Whether it was the splashes in the swamps, or the dust kicked up by galloping bulls, I never had to think twice about the camera’s durability. This freedom allowed me to focus entirely on the story unfolding before me.
Photography, for me, has always been about more than just capturing images. It’s about connection—to people, to places, to moments that might otherwise slip away unnoticed. GFX100RF felt like an extension of that philosophy. In keeping with the vision of the medium format system, it’s a camera that invites you to slow down, to engage with your surroundings, to be present. And yet, when speed is of the essence, it’s always ready, always reliable.
As I look back on my time in the Camargue, I’m struck by how seamlessly GFX100RF became part of my process. It’s rare to find a camera that checks all the boxes: light, fast, versatile, and capable of delivering breathtaking image quality. For a documentary photographer like me, constantly seeking for high image quality result, it’s the perfect second body. But truth be told, it often felt like the only body I needed.
So, here’s to the Camargue—a land of contrasts, connections, and untamed beauty. And here’s to GFX100RF, the camera that helped me tell its story. Together, they reminded me of the power of photography to preserve the past, embrace the present, and imagine the future.
