Hey Seoul Sistas: On Assignment for The Bachelor Season 18 Episode 4

The first time that I had worked with Disney ABC TV as their official stills photographer was a couple years back when they all came to Japan to film for the reality show I Survived a Japanese Game Show. It was a super big production and I’m grateful to be a part of that. Although the working hours were somewhere between 12-14+ moving around on foot each day, I couldn’t complain because the entire crew were all fun to work with. As with lots of the non-news related picture work that I do, it’s typical that I can’t post any pictures up due to contract reasons (or until the story runs) even though the Internet makes it so tempting with just four clicks of a button. One of the assignments that I’m allowed to finally take out of the bag (now that the show is broadcasted) and share with all of you is when Disney ABC TV put me on the plane bound for Seoul, South Korea to shoot all the stills for the filming of The Bachelor Season 18 Episode 4. Although I couldn’t fly first class, they did put me up in a nice little room towards the top at the Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel which I was more than fine with. Thanks again Disney and ABC.

I arrive in Seoul on a mid-day and check in with head of production to figure out what I need to shoot and where I need to be on each of the days. I brought with me the usual “photojournalism” setup: Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 6D, all L series 16-35, 24-70, 70-200, and the handy Fuji X100S that Fujifilm was loaning me. Left all of the flashes at home as they aren’t usually allowed on set anyways.

We shot at some pretty energetic and intimate places all throughout the city of Seoul that kept the entire cast and crew moving along smoothly from location to location. One of the things I enjoy about my line of work is the total randomness on certain jobs and sometimes not knowing exactly how the situation will turn out. As I’ve never seen not even one episode of The Bachelor, partly because I reside outside of the US and hardly watch TV anyways, I quite wasn’t sure what to expect or even visualize what kind of shots I should be making. 

But as always, my intention in photography is to do my best to create pictures that can act as a standalone. After all, photography is a form of storytelling that possesses its own sense of place and feeling at a given time. I got the job done.

Here are some of the shots:

Juan Pablo and the girls doing a group toast during the after party. (Photo by ABC TV/Christopher Jue)

These are the casts of the show where we shot on location at the amazing Korea Furniture Museum that overlooks the city of Seoul. We had the entire facility to ourselves and I’m guestimating a total crew of about 50 at this location. Includes cameramen/women, assistants, runners, producers, executive directors, lighting techs, catering, production managers and all those good people that make things happen. It was a really long and cold night at the museum. We wrapped up shooting around 1:30am.

Juan having a private moment with one of the six women. (Photo by ABC TV/Christopher Jue)

Shooting on location at Seoul Times Square Mall. Can you guess whose performing on stage? (Photo by ABC TV/Christopher Jue)

Photo by ABC TV/Christopher Jue

Here’s the cast performing as background dancers with K-Pop superstars 2NE1 in front of a live audience. Made some nice BTS shots of 2NE1 and the cast together before they all got on stage but I thought this shot is most appropriate to show the overall sense and feeling of the environment. It was an interesting event to photograph and watch up close.

And now this brings me to leaving the best for last...

Photo by ABC TV/Christopher Jue

It's 1:07am here and pretty damn cold out but things started to heat up as we are all trying to wrap up the last shot which wasn't rehearsed nor reenacted. From what I remember correctly, there two cameramen on this shot while I was positioned way back with my 70-200 on the 6D readying myself for that money that I hoping get. I thought to myself that I should've switched bodies with the 70-200 on the Mark IV as it does 10 fps but I just didn't have the time since this was just a one time shot. As slow as the 6D camera is, I captured that intimate moment just before Juan and Nikki Ferrell both met lips. Maybe I should start doing weddings more (lol, yeah right). A bit on the grainy side on purpose otherwise my shots would look digitally perfect like everyone else's. I shot handheld at 1/40 at F2.8, ISO 2000. It worked for me and them. Time to go eat some bibimbap.

You can check out all of the official photos that I shot for The Bachelor in Seoul here. Hope you like them and don't forget to watch the show!

All Legs Crossed

Act a Fuji: Four Months with the X100S

For all you hipster and pro photogs out there, I’m sure you already know that the X100S has already been out for quite some time now. So if you’re looking for another one of those lengthy, technical, in-depth pixel peeping reviews about this camera? Then you’ve most definitely came to the wrong place.

This is about a four month adventure with a piece of technology that the good folks from Fujfilm generously offered to let me put on my left shoulder. A journey through life as someone who makes pictures for a living. 

I didn’t know much about the X100S to be honest other than all the Internet hype I’ve read. But that’s about it. I already own the best set of tools for myself that is needed to do my job, so it didn’t really cross my mind to look elsewhere at that time.

But then this X100S made me turn my head…a few times. For some reason I still don’t know.

Ah, why not give this unusual opportunity a shot I asked myself.

So here goes:

Box from Fuji arrives on the doorstep.

If you're like me who just tends to leave the manual still in its plastic wrap or briefly flip through the pages under a minute, then you'll find yourself not taking full advantage of what this camera can do. This was the case for me and it involved Fuji directing a few tips out via email with some links and PDF's. Nice of them to do this really whereas I should’ve been checking out the manual prior to running around like a chicken with its head cut off. So step 1: spend some time looking at the manual.

During the period of four months, this camera has seen some domestic and international miles. Nagoya, Kyoto, South Korea, and two trips to Los Angeles. Enough travel to be convinced that this thing actually made my life a little easier. Since the X100S has been inside my working bag along with the Canon gear. Never left home without it. Even shot a couple jobs with it as my primary camera but the Canon’s still in the bag as backup. You gotta always have a backup. Always.

The very first thing that stood out most when shooting pictures with the X100S is that it achieves nearly perfect color and tone in almost every shot. And the feel of my images gave it that sorta sweet film look to it rather than those artifical looking colors that most DSLR's produce. Say goodbye to Photoshop when using this camera. If you're a digital artist/Photoshopper this camera probably isn't for you. This camera is made for photographers.

This photo is shot inside the hipster hangout of Urth Caffe in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. 1/15 at F2, -0.7 EV, ISO 800.

The X100S is dead silent which made it appropriate for me to use it on assignment during a corporate conference. 1/15 at F2, ISO 1600.

How about highlights and shadows? Effortless. Not much fiddling around with camera settings. Just point and shoot and you're good (assuming you already know your basic photography fundamentals).

Above is the original photo shot straight from the camera up in the hills at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. 1/220 at F16, +1 EV, ISO 800. 

This camera does a pretty amazing job at handling those ranges from light to dark. If I used my Canon, something would've been either over, under, or just simply unusable.

This is the edited version in Photoshop with slight adjustments to the exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows. I actually prefer the unedited version.

No light modifiers or anything fancy here. Details are all in the photo and nothing seems to be lost. Aperture Priority at F2, ISO 400.

I love shooting sunsets with the X100S. On the plane at LAX. 1/800 at F8, ISO 800.

This Fuji can render skin tones and balance the available light like no other camera that I've seen straight out of the camera. 1/60 at F2, ISO 800. Ran a 30 percent unsharp mask in Photoshop and that's it.

The X100S is great for shooting people even in low light without any flash. 1/60 at F2, ISO 800 with a 30% unsharp mask. Done deal.

And here are some other shots taken with the X100S:

The exterior of Urth Caffe in Los Angeles. For decent coffee and good food, this is the place to hang if you're a hipster.

A good day to be on the streets of Seoul with the X100S. It's fast, quiet and responsive. The perfect camera for street shooting.

Beautiful blues in Seoul. 1/1300 at F4, +0.7 EV, ISO 200.

The X100S is the go to camera you want to take when you travel. Leave the DSLR's at home. Enjoy your actual vacation by not having to dig around in your camera bag deciding which body and lens to use. As some would say, "keep it simple, stupid!"

So there you have it. If you could live with a fixed lens then this is the near perfect camera for the full-time working professional to use on certain jobs, to serious camera enthusiasts.

If you had to ask me: will the X100S go in my bag for work or pleasure? It certainly will.

Unless tomorrow's January 28th official release of the Fujifilm X-T1 so happens to suddenly change my mind... ;-)

One Fresssh Silvia

Loyalists of Super Street worldwide usually get first dibs on viewing the actual published issue before I could even see it. There are lots of cases where sometimes I don't even get to see the work I've made at all. Editors of big magazines are busy. And I'm also busy. I shoot it and I'm on to the next. No time to sit on pictures as there are editorial deadlines to be met and money to be transferred in, and out.

Somehow, after pulling a few strings, this December 2013 issue eventually made it into my mailbox earlier this month. Better receiving it late than never.

As the issue has already been printed and on stands worldwide at selected stores for all you hungry car enthusiasts, you can now read the full story online here which was written by SS senior features editor Sam Du.

Quickly, I'll just show a picture and how I made it. Particularly the one that was used as the opening double truck that you see in the above photo.

This is the original image was shot car to car with my long gone 6D and the 16-35. I made this photo sticking the good upper half of myself out the window of a moving car handheld at 1/30th @ F20, ISO 125. Upped the EV to +0.3. It worked and found its way to print. And now I'm on to the next...