X100V Feature: Valérie Jardin Fujifim X Photographer

Valérie works primarily as a "street photographer" and teaches workshops on such. She uses the X100 series cameras as her main tool and currently is using the X100V. Since there is so much interest in this camera you might be interested in reviewing her work:

Her website has a large portfolio of X100 shots for review: Chasing Light. Telling Stories

She also maintains a blog here: Valarie Jardin Blog

Here is an interview with Frederick Van Johnson of TWiP from 2018:

She has been shooting X100 series cameras way before the current TikTok craze.

My love for the x100 drew me to Valerie awhile back and ultimately to Normandy with her. I am also joining her in Paris this spring. Her workshops are well organized and a lot of fun. She is a heck of a photographer but I SWEAR so many shots just fall in her lap! It makes me sick lol. I would venture there is no better ambassador for the x100 and what one can do with it.

So i'm wondering why not just buy a used xe2 or 3 and a 23f2 or 1.4 for the same or less than what these fixed lens cameras are going for?

Superscroll wrote:

So i'm wondering why not just buy a used xe2 or 3 and a 23f2 or 1.4 for the same or less than what these fixed lens cameras are going for?

The X100 has compactness, the quietness of its leaf shutter, OVF experience/better EVF, WR, build materials going for it. If none of that matters to you, then yeah an X-E + 23mm will work just as well.

Superscroll wrote:

So i'm wondering why not just buy a used xe2 or 3 and a 23f2 or 1.4 for the same or less than what these fixed lens cameras are going for?

The X-E2 is similar to the X100T, and the X-E3 is similar to the X100F; the X100V is similar to the X-E4, but yes you can buy one of those if that’s what you want. And XE is close, but not equal, to an X100.

LDJS Photography wrote:

Most of my street stuff is as good or better than that...

hey ho

hey ho.

Boast like that should have a few samples or a link or something.

athensGA wrote:

LDJS Photography wrote:

Most of my street stuff is as good or better than that...

hey ho

hey ho.

Boast like that should have a few samples or a link or something.

Nah…no point. Anyone that says something like that it isn’t even worth looking at the portfolio.

Valérie Jardin seems to me a genuine and nice person. The point of my post was to make those who were not aware of her work with the X100 series see what can be done with only one fixed lens camera.

Please do not fight about who is "better" and what other camera can be used.

Be kind, relax, and enjoy the photos.

She is an extraordinary and very talented photographer. Her workshops, books, etc., are very accessible and she is an extremely nice person. Fujifilm is lucky to have her as a brand ambassador, and her work ranks among the elite.

LDJS Photography wrote:

athensGA wrote:

LDJS Photography wrote:

Most of my street stuff is as good or better than that...

hey ho

hey ho.

Boast like that should have a few samples or a link or something.

I have no links as have no website or insta etc, but link me a couple of her shots you'd like me to post a comparable with and I'd be happy to do so. I had no intention to be boasting I just write very matter of factly.... I talk like it to and it can be difficult, but it's just how my mind works I kind of 'say what I see' and have no agendas

Well, to be blunt, I guess I've never viewed what's shared here as any sort of a competition.  This forum is a great place to share your work, techniques, etc.  And, when it comes to photography, "as good or better" is highly subjective and very much a matter of opinion and individual taste.

FWIW, my first inclination is to basically ignore boasts like this -- agenda or not, that's how it comes across... at least to me.  I'd prefer to see someone's work as an indicator of talent and let it speak for itself.  I can draw my own conclusions.  Sorry, but comments like "my stuff is as good or better than that" don't exactly give me a strong incentive to look any further.

The X100 cameras are the ONLY Fujifilm X-series cameras that have a leaf shutter. There are many reasons for wanting a leaf shutter, for example, flash sync at high shutter speeds. Using the leaf shutter in bright sunlight with the built-in flash allows for nice fill light.

"f you shoot flash mixed with ambient light, with leaf shutters, you will have a situation that is quite different than when using focal plane shutters." -- Flash, Fuji And Leaf Shutters

**** REDACTED ****

LDJS Photography wrote:

RustyRus wrote:

athensGA wrote:

LDJS Photography wrote:

Most of my street stuff is as good or better than that...

hey ho

hey ho.

Boast like that should have a few samples or a link or something.

Nah…no point. Anyone that says something like that it isn’t even worth looking at the portfolio.

Note I never denigrated her work, I was just speaking matter of factly and more a 'woe is me' type of undertone (which I appreciate might not come across in my post) in that I have really good street work to that level and some above I truly believe, but am not a brand representative as I have chopped and changed brands or have any sort of income at all from my work. I admire people like her who put the effort in to do more than just take the photos and get into her type of position. In fact I told a friend yesterday I feel like my job is a prison and really I should follow my passion and try and make photography my career and am looking into courses etc...

See my post above your's , you'll find you have made an a priori false assumption based on no evidence. No offense meant etc. I'll very happily post examples.

Let me know what you want to compare ie, 3 shadow and light photos, 3 juxtaposition type street shots, colour shots, humorous shots, observational, abstract etc. I'll hapilly do it, no probs at all.

I'm pretty Zen

That’s a good shot! Valerie’s work has a quiet classicism. She consistently catches beautiful and/or nuanced human moments. It doesn’t hurt that her main venue is Paris.

For some reason unable to post link from my phone so for anybody interested this will have to do

https://valeriejardinphotography.com/paris-intemporel

Superscroll wrote:

So i'm wondering why not just buy a used xe2 or 3 and a 23f2 or 1.4 for the same or less than what these fixed lens cameras are going for?

There a lots of reason why the X100V is better. For me, it's the onboard flash. In sunny conditions or sunsets/ sunrises you need to lift the face or perhaps just the eyes with a little fill flash for portraits. Barely noticeable, just enough so you can see the face but not notice the extra illumination. Carrying a flash around is a pain.

And of course the built in ND filter for shooting f2 in bright conditions. It really is a whole camera bag in a tiny package.

For me the X100would be perfect if the lens were 1.4 for shallower DOF. I wouldn't mind it being a bit bigger.

In case you are interested Ms. Jardin has a book out published by Rocky Nook :

(available as a paperback or epub)

NOTE: All photographs are with Fujifilm X100 series cameras. JPEG only never RAF.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS
75 Reasons to Hit the Streets and Learn

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Street Performers
Street Portraits
Street Portrait with a Story
Photographing the Back of People
The Timeless Subject
Gesture
Silhouettes
Sun Burst
Rim Light
Shadows
Shafts of Light
Golden Hour
Blue Hour
From Shadows into Light
Night Photography
Minimalist Approach in Urban Landscape
Minimalist Approach in the Natural Environment
Juxtapositions
Interconnections
Rain
Reflections
Double Exposures
Creative Filter
Creative Framing
Creative Focusing
Looking Up
Looking Down
Low Angle
Leading Lines
Negative Space
Creating Tension
Centering
Letting the Subject Come at You
Go Fishing
Staging with a Billboard
Eye Contact
Sense of Place
Using Signage
Humor
Looking In
Looking Out
Public Transportation
Train Station Platforms
Panning
Slow Shutter Speed
Camera Movement
Abstract
Humanity Without People in the Frame
Eye Contact
Rule of Thirds
Centering Your Subject
Creative Self Portraits
Story in Multiple Frames
Themes
Hands
Feet
Umbrellas
Hats
Dogs
Lovers
Family
Readers
Bicyclists
Color

Also, Frederik Van Johnson of TWiP just released a new video (2/17/2023) interview with Valérie Jardin talking about:

"In this episode, I speak with renowned street photographer Valerie Jardin to discuss her approach to capturing the beauty and drama of everyday life. Valerie shares her journey from amateur photographer to international workshop instructor and author, offering insights into the art and craft of street photography.

Through her work and teaching, Valerie emphasizes the importance of developing a personal style and vision, building relationships with subjects, and capturing the decisive moment. She also discusses the challenges of photographing in public spaces, including navigating legal and ethical issues and offers tips for approaching strangers and developing a keen eye for visual storytelling.

Whether you're an aspiring photographer or a seasoned pro, this conversation with Valerie Jardin will inspire and inform your approach to capturing the world around you."

She shoots JPEG only never RAF.

LDJS Photography wrote:

Jerry-astro wrote:

LDJS Photography wrote:

athensGA wrote:

LDJS Photography wrote:

Most of my street stuff is as good or better than that...

hey ho

hey ho.

Boast like that should have a few samples or a link or something.

I have no links as have no website or insta etc, but link me a couple of her shots you'd like me to post a comparable with and I'd be happy to do so. I had no intention to be boasting I just write very matter of factly.... I talk like it to and it can be difficult, but it's just how my mind works I kind of 'say what I see' and have no agendas

Well, to be blunt, I guess I've never viewed what's shared here as any sort of a competition.

Neither have I

This forum is a great place to share your work, techniques, etc.

That's how I see it

And, when it comes to photography, "as good or better" is highly subjective and very much a matter of opinion and individual taste.

Certainly is.

Then simply let your work speak for itself.  Your comments came across to me as boasting, whether that was intentional or not.  As the saying goes... the proof is in the pudding.