This weekend, the ‘Salisbury Charter Fair’ kicked off in town. First off: I’m not a massive fan of fairs; they tend to be full of behoodied teenagers who lean towards the chaotic-evil alignment. This may have been a view I inherited from my parents, as I wasn’t allowed to visit them as a kid.
But, I’m an adult now and able to (mostly) make my own decisions. So I thought it would be a great opportunity to have some fun with night photography. I loaded up the Kodachrome 64 recipe on the X100VI and slapped the 85mm f/1.8 on the Z5 II and went into town.
The weather wasn’t great for the fair; I’m sure the rain and wind was putting off potential trade for them, (though nothing stops the fair’s hoodie infestation – name that film!), but the rain was great for reflections and giving the images a very cool look.
I started out with a couple of loops of the fair with the Nikon Z5 II, then went to The Haunch of Venison to select my favourites. I then switched to the X100VI and headed out again. The 35/85 combo is a classic in the world of wedding photography, and for good reason. Whereas the 85 really allows you to crop in on your chosen subject, the 35 takes in the whole scene and provides more context. It therefore meant the second trip around the fair allowed me to spot things that I’d perhaps overlooked on my first circuit.
For this post, I’ve separated the two different focal lengths into two different galleries; you can therefore easily note the difference in the compositions, as well as the differences between the Fuji ‘look’ and the Nikon ‘look’.
The Nikon Z5 II & Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S
Fujifilm X100VI & Tiffen Black Pro-Mist Filter
Conclusions
As you can see, I took some photographs of the local Everyman Cinema on the way home, and it made me realise that the X100VI with the mist filter on is just perfect for these night time shoots. I know it’s a strong look that some people don’t like – and I know that some people don’t like the baked-in effect, but I just loved the photos that came out of it.
I also loved the photos that came out of the Z5II though! The files were so clean and that 85mm 1.8 lens is perfect for me – it feels like it’s how I sometimes ‘picture’ compositions in my head before taking the shot.
Ultimately, I need to get out and about at night more often despite the hoodie menace, this was an enjoyable shoot and I loved the results 👍🏻