So you know how it is, you’ve finished the race weekend, you have a morning to kill in the hotel, the pool is empty, the sun is out!
What do you do?

Yup! You grab the Fuji X-T1 and the Fujinon 16-55mm f2.8, throw it in the EWA Marine bag, get Laura to put on a dress, jump in the pool and throw some shapes! 🙂

The pool at the Grand Prix Hotel is in the south of France, yes, the Mediterranean! Outdoors, heated by the sun, or so I thought…it was bloody freezing! Laura and I jumped in and well, we both instantly knew we were not staying in long…

The Fujinon 16-55mm f2.8 is fast becoming my goto lens for all things portrait and pit lane, it is also perfect for underwater work.

I spent years moving from zooms to primes, and now I find myself wanting more zooms again. It’s a travel thing, I guess? That and there is no need to question the quality of the glass… It’s just so bloody perfect!

Working quickly, Laura threw some shapes. I had to stop after a few frames to let out some of the air from the bag; it’s amazing how buoyant a camera is inside an airtight bag! Once the balance was sorted we continued to shoot more frames. The light in the South of France is epic! It really penetrates the waters of the pool, so film speed and ISO was no problem.

 

Once we had gone hypothermic, we got out the pool fast and needed food! There’s a small bakery near the hotel and circuit so we headed there.

While we were eating and drinking some much needed hot coffee, I edited a few of the images up on the iphone and instagram for speed…

WOW! the images look great! I can’t wait to get these edited when I get home…

Anyway it’s time to bail!

Well OK, still time for one last shot. The signs by this Boulangerie are quite retro and so we can always squeeze a couple more frames off. It’s not like I don’t have enough to edit already…maybe its a medical thing? Doctor, I just can’t stop making images!

 

Next stop Marseille Airport! FTJ James!