V Opoku
Wedding | Last Updated: April 4, 2024
My name is V. Opoku, but usually just V does the trick and I am documentary wedding photographer based in London, UK (for now). I am also a bit of a traveller, you know the type of guy to book a one way ticket somewhere and then figure things out from there – yep, one of those guys.
About 20 months ago, I started to use the Fujifilm X-Series for Wedding Photography. It was not an intentional switch from DSLR to Mirrorless because at the time I did not have any gear (my Nikon D700 kit got stolen).
Shooting exclusively with the Fujifilm X-Series was just a discovery that worked out well for me.
My vision is to build human connections whilst creating a body of work that clients will cherish for years to come. And I feel that my current kit has really helped me bring that vision to life ; In the sense that the smaller and more discreet cameras and lenses helps me to blend in much easier on wedding days.
Cameras:
My kitbag on a typical wedding day consists of two Fujifilm X-Pro 1 bodies and a Fujifilm X1ooS.
I usually have the Fujifilm X-1ooS around my neck and one of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 mounted with the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 XF lens on my shoulder. It is a 50/50 usage between the two bodies. The second Fujifilm X-Pro 1 is mounted with the Fujifilm 18mm f2.0 XF but that stays in my bag and most of the time I don’t even use it.
My iphone 5S + VSCOcam app also comes in handy for some insta-fun moments.
Lenses:
I am a prime shooter and have been since early 2010. I own the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 XF along with the Fujifilm 18mm f2.0 XF lens. The Fujifilm X100S doubles up as my 23mm f/2.0 lens. (Ed – this is equivalent to a 35mm)
99% of my work is created with either a Fujifilm X-Pro 1 + the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 XF or with the Fujifilm X100S. They give me the field of view of 50mm and 35mm respectively. I deliberately shoot at these field of view because I want to master seeing the world that way and the it also enables me to achieve some sort of consistency within my body of work. They also allow me to get in closer to what I am documenting. However, I recently played about with the Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2 XF lens during a wedding and I will be getting my own copy soon.
Lighting:
I try to shoot with available light as much as possible but when I must, I use the Canon 430 EX II.
Bag & Straps:
My bag is a normal messenger bag from Zara and I got my straps made when my travels this summer took me to Northern Morocco.
What I love about the Fujifilm X-Series system as a whole:
1. The Image quality that the sensor and lenses are capable is pretty amazing.
2. The traditional shutter speed dials & the aperture value on the lenses makes things faster to use once you get use to it.
3. The rangefinder styled design and having to compensate for parallax offers an interesting shooting experience.
4. Size & Weight, for those long hours on a wedding day or for travelling, trust me.
In a nutshell, the Fujifilm X-Series for wedding photography is a breath of fresh air, it offers a new way of doing things.
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