Zuiko and Street Fashion

Photographic opportunities sometimes come at times you do not expect. It is good to always have your camera ready for those instances; be it a simple family candids or a street riot or even a fashion show.

A good compact system, especially the Olympus E-system, will serve you good in those situations. Take for example the petite E-420 with the Zuiko Digital ED 50mm F2.0 Macro lens. With a combined weight of just below 800 grams, and a size just enough to fit in a small purse, this is one combo you cannot leave behind.

Don't let the size fool you, too! With the full professional image parameter controls, this little pocket rocket will really sizzle your eyes.

It was one of those days when a simple photography opportunity came my way in a form of a Street Fashion show. I was walking by Ampang Park shopping mall when I chanced upon this event. A bit low-key event, I would say, but the lighting for the shoot was marvelous. The catwalk was a simple deck adjacent to the five-foot by-way, and the semi-translucent glass roof provided subtle softlighting to the models.

E-420 with Zuiko Digital ED50mm F2.0

50mm, f/2.0, 1/500s, ISO100, +0.7EV

The most beautiful thing about this series are the skintones. I love Olympus skintones. Really true to the real thing, in my opinion. I set the color mode to Portrait with low contrast -1. This subtle setting made the tonal and color renditions to the portraits even more beautiful and captivating. Add the legendary sharpness of the 50mm f2.0 lens, the setup is complete. All I did was to concentrate on the lighting composition and facial expression of the models.

The situation for shooting this kind of event was how to control the distracting background. One way was to use large aperture like the f2.0 to blur the background, and another way was to use selective cropping during the shoot, with regards to get the best angle, lighting and timing.

With a clear distance separating the model with the background, f2.0 aperture seemed to be the best selection. The depth-of-field was just enough to get the whole part of the models in focus, whilst having the background blurred. Just perfect!

50mm, f2.0, 1/200s, ISO100, +0.3EV

Througout the series, you can see the intricate details of the models' kebaya dress. The flower motifs with the bright colors added dimension to the image. The Zuiko delivered the details, even if shot wide open. Now, that's professional quality glass. Really awesome!!

The models approaching. I just ensured focusing was on track, and all was just right.

What I liked about this image was the lighting. The transition from the lighter part facing the street and the darker part to the mall added natural tones to the already beautiful models.

The experience was just exhilirating. How can I say this? If all the things were set for you, all you needed to do was just watch the light and shoot.

How simple can this be?