Have the confidence..

I have been here a week now (landed last Wednesday morning). The first week is always busier than the second so I now get time to look around more and write.

Having worked at this festival a number of times, I knew, when packing, that all I needed was a couple of camera bodies and 2 or 3 lenses. Of course, thats not what I packed.

It’s often said that the difference between “Professional” and “Amateur” photographers is the ability or doggedness to carry all the kit that may be needed for all eventualities as opposed to that kit that is actually needed.

As ever confidence deserted me at the last moment, with the worry of jobs I may or may not get, leading me to pack a couple of additional lenses (the 16-80 for example – 24-120 in “real money” ).

Jessica Chastain seen at the Photocall for Dreams during Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) at Grand Hyatt Berlin on 15 February 2025. X-H2 90 mm

Thats the lens I started with for most of the work (knowing that focal range is all that is needed for the photocalls), with an added flash.

It took until Saturday morning (after a late evening on the carpet with the “Hot Milk” cast) until I had the confidence of my convictions to leave everything back at the room except the 2 X-H bodies, the X100 & the 50/1.4 & 90/2.0

Fans wait in the cold at the Red Carpet for the German Premiere of A Complete Unknown during Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) at Berlinale Palast, Berlin, , Germany on 14 February 2025. X-H2 90 mm ISO 640 1/250 sec at f – 2.0

Why did it take so long? Surely I have been doing this long enough to be confident from the get-go?

The carpet here is red. The lighting is overhead meaning the red reflects really strongly on the subjects. Added to that there are red barriers and foot level lighting that is tungsten. The result of all this is the light is RED

Timothée Chalamet poses on the red carpet at the German Premiere of A Complete Unknown during Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) at Berlinale Palast, Berlin, , Germany on 14 February 2025. X-H2S XF35mmF1.4 R ISO 250 1/320 sec at f – 1.4

Editing the Hot Milk images Friday night, I realised the set I delivered to the client were 80% shot on the X100. No flash. I had the measure of the red. Well sort of, its impossible to dial it out of the shadows.Yes some images look a little green, others, as they move towards the venue and more red. I had as good as I thought I could get it.