Whenever you’re studying this, I’m in Tokyo, Japan, visiting the gallery opening of the 2024 Fujifilm GFX Problem Grant winners. In late 2024, I received the message that my pitch was chosen and I might be getting $5,000 to {photograph} Canadian drag performers! A dream come true! Learn on to seek out out about my pitch, the choice course of, and the way I captured the pictures!
The Utility
Let’s rewind. Within the Spring/Summer time of 2024 I heard that the Fujifilm GFX Problem grant was coming again for one more yr! I had utilized in 2023, however in my pleasure, I didn’t apply correctly. You want the preformatted cowl letter (which is on their web site when the grant is open to functions), in addition to a one‐sheet outlining the mission’s creative perspective. I used to be decided to use correctly this yr!
After which I forgot.
That was, after all, till a few day earlier than the deadline. I knew my concept! It was only a matter of taking a couple of hours out of my day to format it into an arts grant utility! With out boring you with the small print, I discovered a couple of photographs that informed who I used to be, which I feel was very useful, and put collectively a one-pager that outlined the Who, What, The place, When, and Why of my mission. I despatched it off and thought nothing of it. On the very least, by making use of to the grant, I thought of my work otherwise I had not contemplated earlier than.
After which in October, I received an e-mail — I had made the listing of the highest 45 candidates on the earth to make it to Part 2 of the grant choice course of, and can be interviewing with the Fujifilm North America group.
The Interview
I used to be most nervous concerning the interview the place they needed to know not nearly my work, however about who I used to be as an artist and individual. I used to be elated to have gotten this far, and I used to be decided to make all of it the best way! I rapidly put collectively a Google Slides doc, sharing visuals of my work, particularly within the drag world, and speaking about why drag was prepared for the high-art world — or was it the opposite means round?
They requested some questions, like what I might do if I didn’t get the International Grant, however fairly the Regional Grant, and I principally defined I would scale back the scope. If I had acquired the complete grant I might have gone throughout Canada — but when given the regional grant I’d follow Toronto and Quebec and {photograph} fewer performers. That they had another questions however, at this level, it was a yr in the past and it was form of a blur. For those who apply to subsequent yr’s GFX Problem Grant, my tip is to be your self, share why you’re motivated to create your mission, and actually dig into the creative benefit of the mission. Being ready with a presentation actually helped me talk my concept.
The Mission
Once I first received the e-mail saying “Fujifilm Problem Grant Winner!” I initially thought it was an inventory of the winners. I used to be fallacious. It was an e-mail from my inventive producer on the mission saying that I had received the regional grant!
I discovered that my progress as an artist, greater than only a industrial photographer, grew tenfold over this mission.
From there, we had a number of inventive conferences with the Fujifilm group to refine my concept and make clear what I used to be attempting to convey. The concept I pitched, and the concept I executed, ended up being associated however not precisely the identical. The Fujifilm group and I labored carefully to be able to construct upon my authentic concept and use this chance the grant offered to increase and elevate my work. I discovered that my progress as an artist, greater than only a industrial photographer, grew tenfold over this mission. I had not often thought of my work past “Fairly image seems to be good” earlier than this, and it actually modified how I strategy my private photoshoots. I had to consider the why of the strategies I used to be utilizing, and the way each resolution mattered to the core concept of the mission, which boiled all the way down to “Fact in artifice.”
I discover that drag is an excessive type of the masks we put on on daily basis, which have two utilities — to cover the issues we’re insecure about and to intensify the issues we’re positive of. Each selection we make, what to cover and what to share with the world, can uncover a fact about oneself. In an effort to categorical this concept photographically I needed to make extra selections than ever: extra lights, extra route, extra post-production.
For the mission I wanted a couple of issues. The thought behind it was fairly technical so I would want 4 lights that had the power to fireside sequentially. The issue was, I solely had two Broncolor Siros 800 S items. I reached out to Broncolor Canada, who so graciously co-sponsored the mission by loaning me a bit of additional gear: two extra Siros 800 S items in addition to a Broncolor Softbox and a Broncolor Para Reflector Package.
The following factor I wanted was an assistant — somebody who knew their means round lights, was a collaborator and drawback solver, and owned a automotive (driving to Quebec and again is a lot nicer than flying, particularly with all of the gear). I discovered my assistant on an area Fb group in Olya, who was instrumental in gathering behind-the-scenes photographs, organizing, and simply general being an enormous assistance on set!
Lastly, I wanted fashions! I knew a couple of drag performers round Toronto and Montreal, and reached out to their brokers, negotiated charges, and, some individuals dropping out final minute however, ended up with six unimaginable performers: Denim, Adriana, and Esirena in Montreal, with Helena Poison, Manny Dingo, and Perla in my residence metropolis of Toronto.
The Shoot(s)
First up was Montreal! Olya and I hopped into the automotive on a chilly February morning and drove all the best way to Montreal to arrange for our shoot the next day. We had truly solely met for espresso beforehand, so the drive began out awkward, however we turned quick pals! Once we received to Montreal, I rapidly went to mattress and the subsequent morning, it was off to the studio!
For our setup, I knew that the approach would work in idea however I had not truly gotten to attempt it with a mannequin but, so I used to be secretly very nervous. We arrange our lights in a four-light setup — which shifted round for every performer — however the concept was the identical. I might use the Fujifilm GFX100 II digicam’s 8 fps mode to burst-capture photographs, and each time the shutter closed, a unique gentle would flash the subsequent publicity. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. This allowed for various lights to intensify totally different elements of the drag artist’s kind and outfit — however in the identical second, so the pose was equivalent, permitting me to “collage” them collectively, like an unscrambled Picasso.
One factor I discovered on set of the photoshoot is that stilettos want a little bit of cushioning on a white cyc to be able to be sure that you don’t poke holes in it. So we truly had to make use of some painter’s tape in a ball to unfold out the performers’ weight slightly. It added some retouching work, however saved us from restore prices.
There have been three queens in Montreal, and we rapidly fell right into a rhythm of extensive, low, and close-up for every of them, giving us three pictures of every performer. Now, from the get-go I knew I didn’t need this to appear like a white cyclorama, however we didn’t have the time (nor price range) to construct units. $5,000 solely goes thus far while you’re adamant about paying your collaborators honest charges. I’ll clarify how I solved this concern within the subsequent part.
After 10 hours on set, and a last-minute change of performer, we have been achieved in Montreal!
A couple of weeks later, we shot in Toronto — my favourite metropolis I’ve ever lived in — and we truly shot in my constructing! The rooftop of my condominium has a big area I usually use to shoot pictures. For Toronto I truly needed a little bit of a set since clean partitions are even worse than a white cyc however, with out a lot of a price range, I simply purchased some velvet backdrop cloth on Amazon and, with some draping, we had a good looking set!
https://www.instagram.com/daveoverthere/reel/DG_pg5bJFuf/
As a part of the grant, Fujifilm creates a documentary about every of the grant recipients. So in Toronto I used to be joined by the crew of Untold Storytelling, who adopted my work for the day and did a unbelievable job turning my ramblings into a good looking story of queer artwork. You’ll be able to see mine, and the opposite grant recipients’ documentaries on the Fujifilm YouTube channel.
After one other day on set, adopted by a day of interview and B-roll round Toronto, it was a digicam wrap! Subsequent got here culling. And coloration correction. And retouching. And 3D. And compositing. And collaging. And extra retouching.
Publish-Manufacturing
When all was stated and achieved, I had 1000’s of photographs to cull in teams of 4. I had the whole lot in a single Seize One Professional session, and tagged the photographs by performer. I culled the whole lot all the way down to about fifteen poses per performer after which despatched these to the drag queens and king so they might select which have been their least favourite — I didn’t wish to put hours of labor into photographs nobody favored! I noticed this entire course of as very collaborative, so it was vital they received a say.
As I alluded to earlier than, I didn’t just like the Montreal white cyc. It was vital for lighting, having the area, and making compositing simple — however it was thus far off from my authentic imaginative and prescient that I wanted it gone. Fortunately, I’ve been spending the previous 4 or 5 years studying CGI, and I exploit it in my product work closely. So I booted up Blender and created units that may be near-impossible in actual life. I might reverse-engineer the sunshine by what every picture regarded like, plus my very own reminiscence.
Understanding I wanted to edit almost twenty photographs, round different freelance work, I knew I needed to work smarter not tougher. So I arrange my Blender digicam to be the identical lens and sensor dimension because the Fujifilm GFX100 II and the Fujinon GF45mm f/2.8 R WR (which is the lens I used for the extensive images) and used some pre-made property and textures I modified as a substitute of constructing completely the whole lot from scratch.
I then used frequency separation to rapidly and simply even out pores and skin tone, make the pores and skin “excellent,” and clear up a couple of wrinkles I didn’t take pleasure in. I initially tried to arrange a macro so I’d solely need to retouch one picture, after which the opposite three can be a push of a button. This didn’t work, and I noticed it was faster to only retouch 4 photographs than it will be to arrange the macro. Whereas frequency separation is just not the very best retouching approach ever to make use of, on this quantity of photographs, and with 102 MP, I simply didn’t have the time to offer these a “correct” retouch. (Additionally, they’re drag performers; they typically like their faces to be slightly over-retouched.)
Whereas I knew the ultimate output can be images, I needed to play with video as properly — I experimented with each chopping between totally different collages and fading between the totally different lighting, the latter of which felt rhythmic and virtually hypnotic.
Conclusion
General, the Fujifilm GFX Problem Grant was an unimaginable expertise — I received to consider my work by a extra creative lens than I allowed myself to up to now, and the entire Fujifilm group really let me unfold my wings and fly. I used to be anxious firstly that they’d be involved about having me symbolize the model in a sure means, however I quickly discovered they have been there to assist and carry, not enclose and restrict. I discovered loads on this mission, met some new pals and collaborators, and am presently seeing this in Tokyo, printed massive with the opposite grant winners’ work! Fujifilm was a unbelievable collaborator and pushed me to be the very best artist I might be, and I’m excited to discover the extra creative, significant facet of my work sooner or later!
Photographs used with permission.
