I was able to spend two days in Merida, Mexico after my last hitch offshore.  I wanted to keep a slim profile and not call attention to myself, so I paired my GX7 with the Lumix 14mm f/2.5 for a majority of the trip. This combination is great for street photography during the day where I could set the camera to aperture priority and focus my attention on searching for interesting subjects and good light.

It was also great for photographing the different architecture around Merida and the ruins that make up Chichen Itza. Sure it would have been great to have the latest and greatest lens offering but I was also wanting to have fun with the people showing me their beautiful country and did not want to fuss over minor flaws in image quality, distortion etc. If you are looking for a small effective lens to pair with your micro four thirds camera, the Lumix 14mm f/2.5 is really all you need if photography is not your main focus throughout your travels.  

 

At night the combination was good but I had to up the ISO to 1600 to keep my shutter speed high. The GX7's sensor performs pretty well even up to ISO 2000 especially if your final medium is web sharing. Also because of the wide focal length and the GX7's IBIS technology I could get away with shooting at relatively low shutter speeds when my subject was stationary. Again, I was making photos while having fun enjoying the food, sights and sounds and the 14mm pancake was sufficient enough for me capture some of what I thought was interesting.

Of course my trip wouldn't have been complete without me taking some portraits. This was actually the first time I used this lens with the intention of photographing people and I plan to add it to my portrait bag. It is definitely wider than I am used to but I learned if you are trying to show the environment and give some context to the scene this lens works like a charm.

Overall the GX7 is a great travel camera and I prefer it over my EM5 (Mark 1) because of its silent electronic shutter which exhibits a 1/8000 maximum shutter speed and Wi-Fi capabilities. In addition, the tiny Lumix 14mm was all I needed to practice photography while enjoying my micro-vacation. If you are considering adding this pancake lens to your arsenal, at around $300, its a no brainer. However, if you are one to fuss over the technical aspects of your photos (and do not care about size) then I would consider something else, maybe Oly's 12mm f/2 or Rokinon's 12mm f/1.8.

Sam

If you live in, or are traveling to Florida and would like to schedule a photo-shoot, I am currently offering portrait services in and around Central Fl. Check out more of my work at www.samgoldphotography.com

While visiting home I was able to run off to the mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico with my brother (Noel) and sister (Sarah) to practice a bit of fashion photography. My sister is an aspiring model and this gave us both an opportunity to add to our portfolios. We got to Ruidoso around 11am (after I got us lost by wanting to take "the scenic route" = dirt road to nowhere), and spent around 30 minutes scouting for locations. After I decided which looks were going to be shot where and waited for my sister to do her makeup we shot until 6pm, with breaks for snacks and wardrobe/makeup/location changes every few hours. It was a long but very fun day.

I used my Panasonic GX7 whose hot shoe randomly gave out last month (apparently I'm not the only one who has experienced this) so rather than trying to rely on my speedlight's slave mode I decided to shoot using a 5 in 1 reflector as my main "light source". I only recently purchased this and it was my first experience using one of them. Throughout the shoot I used the reflectors' shiny silver side which I think mimicked a bare flash pretty well. Since this is the look often sought after in high fashion I was pleased with the results. However, there are a few caveats I encountered:

• The sun needs to be out.
• Works best if you have an assistant - Noel was a great sport and ended up calling himself "the lighting guy" throughout the day haha.
• Sun needs to be behind or to the side of your subject.
• Works best if when you place the subject in the shade and then illuminate them.
• When using the shiny silver side, the reflector is hot and blinding - Sarah was a champ, but there were times when she needed a break.
• It can be difficult to control in the wind.

I used Olympus' trusted 45mm portrait lens for most of the shoot but also used an OM Zuiko 35mm f/2.8 coupled to a generic focal reducer (translates into a 50mm f/2 lens). It was very sunny out and I was extremely thankful for the Panasonic GX7's ability to shoot up to the 1/8000 shutter speed. This allowed me to shoot wide open for most of the photos. Below are my favorites from the shoot. It was a pleasure working with Sarah and seeing what a beautiful woman she is growing up to be. Having my brother there was also a blast because he knew exactly what to say to get her to laugh. Of course the bonding time was priceless and I can't wait to do it again. Hope you enjoy our efforts, Sam.

If you live in, or are traveling to Florida and would like to schedule a photo-shoot, I am currently offering portrait services in and around Central Fl. Check out more of my work at www.samgoldphotography.com

Into the Woods

Navajo

Radioactive

The Walking Dead

Greyscale