With sports photographer & Fujifilm product specialist Dominic Boulding
The first camera that I bought myself was a Nikon D40. I was an annoying little brother as
my brother had got a camera that Christmas... so of course, I had to have one as well.
My grandfather would take me out birdwatching and when I was about 13 and I wanted to take photos of the birds. I just got more and more involved in the art of photography and that was it. Hooked at an early age.
Photography is something that I can lose myself to. When I'm out taking photos of cars or MTB's I usually forget what time it is. It’s a fantastic feeling - such a release. It’s a passion for sure.
What would we find in your kit bag?
My camera kit now is much smaller than it used to be. So, I have a Fujifilm X-H1 16-55mm
f2.8 and a 50-140mm f2.8. I love it - it's a robust bit of kit that I can use everyday trackside in the worst of the conditions that Britain can and does throw at us. Favourite lens? That’s a hard one. I have been lucky to have used pretty much all of them. Favourite lens I own is the 50-140mm f2.8. It is such a workhorse lens. Favourite lens I don’t own is the 200mm f2. A beautiful piece of tech. I really want this lens myself.
Dom is also a fan of the latest compact mirrorless camera from Fujifilm. He will be sharing his knowledge on the new Fujifilm X-S10 with a Facebook Live event on Wednesday 13th January at 7pm GMT. If you'd like to join him, ask any question and get some trackside tips you can find out more information and register your interest here.
Where do you get inspiration?
I have to say I have quite a few photographers that I look up to a lot on Instagram. One of
the best that I follow is Amy Lentz her work is stunning an absolute credit to the motorsports world. A new source of inspiration came to my attention this year, Alex Denham. Both of these women have such an awesome love and talent for what they do. It really shines through their work. It really gave me a push to get out to more tracks and get myself to some more races.
Also I gain a lot of inspiration from is Brett Shelfer, the level of commitment and pure joy I see in his photos is hard to beat. His work pops up all over the place. He is a passionate man and he has a fantastic eye.
Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?
Wow what a hard question. I believe myself to be a semi-professional. I would never put my
work up with the likes of some of those guys I have just mentioned. They are the true
professionals.
Do you plan what you want from a photo in advance?
Well it depends on the shoot. For the mountain bikes it is a bit easier I am able to chat to
them and help them get the best out of the photo. Ask what they like to see and try and get
the best out of them. I have to say it is really good fun shooting mountain bikers as they
really like to push themselves and what they are able to do.
Weather and other drivers usually mess up any plans I have for motorsports so I tend to
shoot on the fly. Of course each track has its renowned locations and its famous spots and I will always try and get something from there. But I love finding strange angles and lighting to get a unique view.
Studio, on location or both?
Your easiest questions so far. I have always found it so hard to shoot in a studio. So, I tend
to stick far away from the studio.
What has been your most memorable photo shoot and why?
I would have to say my first shoot would be my most memorable. I was chatting to a few friends in a pub and as the night goes on we meet more and more friends of friends. One of them says I have a few cars for sale that I need to be photographed. So, we swapped numbers and organised a shoot for a few days later. Now, this is where I am thinking this is going to be a few Fiestas or maybe a Golf R but he showed up in a Porsche 911 Carrera 4. It sticks in my mind to this day, simply because I am a) very lucky to have met this guy, and b) that was the day that I fell back in love with cars and motorsports. If only the 10 year old Dom could have seen me now.
What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start out or to someone looking to go professional?
Take as many photos as you can of the things you like to shoot. Every field in photography
is full of people wanting to get that top seat, it will always be a fight. Be ready to have long
hard days.
When starting out or choosing a new camera go into a local camera shop. You have no idea how much easier it is to find the right camera when you can get advice from people who have used or at least tested out some of the different manufacturers. If Fujifilm had made the X series when I was starting out I would have been using them the whole time!
With thanks to Dom Boulding for sharing his work with CameraWorld. If you want to see more check out his insta page!
Comments