Most filmmakers today are chasing the sharpest, latest lenses. For me, though, sharpness isn’t what makes an image stand out. I’m drawn to lenses with character.

For this fashion film, I went the opposite direction and shot everything with vintage lenses from the 80s — soft edges, low contrast, and a more organic look that feels like a movie.

And in this video, I’ll break down exactly how I shot it — not just the lenses I used, but also the way I directed the model, worked with natural light, and used simple cinema techniques like coverage and shot sizes to build the film.

Introduction

I shot this at the SuperGT in Sepang, Malaysia. In the middle of all the motorsport chaos, I chose to focus on the race queens. Coming from a fashion photography background, I’m drawn to them because their uniforms are already stylised and distinctive. It feels close to fashion, even without a stylist, which makes them perfect subjects for this kind of film.

I prefer working outdoors with just natural light. It gives me freedom to move the model until the light hits the right spot, and it really brings out the character of these vintage lenses. With this glass, you see the softness, the flares, and how it renders the background – even the bokeh has a distinct character. Those are exactly the things modern lenses are designed to avoid.

For this film, I paired a Japanese-made Vivitar 28mm with a Soviet Helios-40-2 85mm. The Vivitar handled my wides. The Helios gave me those dreamy close-ups. Part of this experiment was to see if two very different lenses from two different worlds could cut together in one film.

Because I service and cinemod these lenses myself, I know exactly how they’ll behave. That confidence frees me to stop worrying about the mechanics and focus fully on directing and composing.

So let me show you how I approached this shoot — starting with how I worked with the model in that environment.

Connection

Before I even start filming, I focus on building rapport with the model. At an event like this, I always ask for permission first. That little moment of respect sets the tone — it shows I’m not just shoving a camera in their face. And when they feel respected, they’re more likely to trust me.

For this shoot, the model is Qiqi. I’ve worked with her a couple of times, so she already knows me and she’s comfortable in front of the camera. But even then, I still ask before filming. That little gesture matters, no matter how well you know the person.

Qiqi is experienced, so she doesn’t need much posing guidance. But I still give simple directions — like ‘let’s do a sitting pose’ or ‘let’s do a side profile’ That way, we’re on the same page, and it doesn’t feel like I’m just taking random shots. And it helps me too. By giving one clear direction, I can anticipate her movement and compose the frame exactly how I want it. I know where she’s going to turn or when she’s going to shift, so I can time the shot instead of chasing it.  

And here’s why this matters. At events like Sepang, you don’t get a lot of time with each model. Sometimes you only have a minute or two before the crowd moves in. If you’ve built trust right away, you can get usable shots quickly instead of wasting time trying to warm up halfway through.

I prefer connection and natural energy over perfect posing. I’ve seen it many times — when the model feels comfortable, it shows in the eyes, the body language, and the little expressions that don’t feel forced.

I usually keep an Insta360 running during shoots too. It’s nothing fancy, just raw behind-the-scenes of how I actually work with the model in the moment.

Light

I don’t bring lights to events like this. Everything I shoot is with natural light, so I pay attention to where the sun is and how it falls on the model.

At Sepang, the light was constantly shifting — sometimes harsh, sometimes soft when clouds moved in. I worked with that instead of fighting it. If it was cloudy, I’d just shoot as it was. When the sun turned harsh, I’d flip to backlight. That way, her face was still filled in by natural bounce, and the strong sun created a rim around her body that separated her from the background. On these vintage lenses, that kind of light also adds beautiful flares and bloom.

I think of Qiqi like a sculpture. With the right lighting, her features become more defined. That’s why I avoid flat front lighting and prefer to play between backlight and side light. Backlight gives separation, while side light adds depth to her face and body. Together, they keep the image from looking flat.

Backlighting also has a personal meaning for me. When I was assisting at Image Rom in 2013, Steve Koh, a pioneer in fashion photography, told me about using backlight to make the subject pop from the background. That advice stuck with me, and I’ve applied it ever since. Thank you, Steve Koh.

Simplicity

When I shoot, I like to keep things simple. At an event like Sepang, there’s no time for complicated setups or over-directing.

That mindset comes from my background. From cinema, I learned that the best directors move the camera with purpose. Every movement is motivated, not just for the sake of moving. From stills, I learned to value strong composition. So now I treat my footage like moving stills, with minimal movement and clean framing.

I also think of the model like an actor inside the frame. Once I set up the shot, I let her perform naturally within it. Her expression and body language are the performance. My job is to hold the frame steady and let it play out.

When it comes to directing, I keep it clear and focused. One shot equals one direction. If I ask Qiqi to ‘look over your shoulder,’ that’s all I want in that moment. Clear direction keeps her relaxed, and it lets me anticipate the movement so I can frame exactly how I want.

And this approach makes me efficient. At events like this, sometimes I only get a minute with a model before the crowd gathers. Keeping my directions and movements simple means I can get strong, usable shots quickly without overcomplicating things.

The funny thing is, the simpler I keep it, the better the footage looks. It doesn’t feel staged or forced. And simplicity also keeps me focused on what matters most: the model’s performance. Between keeping the shot steady, watching exposure, and checking the background for distractions, the last thing I want is to wrestle with technical hiccups. By keeping it simple, I stay present with the model, and that’s what brings a cinematic quality to the footage.

Scene Coverage

When I shoot, I always think about scene coverage. Wide, medium, and close-up. It’s something I picked up from cinema, where coverage gives editors the building blocks to shape a scene. It’s the difference between intentional shot and just random snapshots. By thinking in coverage, I get variation and rhythm that makes the film flow and keeps it interesting from start to finish. 

The opening was with the Vivitar 28mm. That umbrella reveal was actually Qiqi’s idea, and I loved it. With an experienced model, these moments happen. She brings the performance, and my job is just to frame it. I like using a wide angle in moments like this because it brings more of the environment into the frame with the model. It doesn’t just show her — it shows where she is. For me, that’s an important part of coverage. The wides set the stage, and then the mediums and close-ups build on top of that.

I also pushed the Vivitar into tighter shots. The norm is to reach for a longer lens when you want a tighter frame. Instead, I moved in close with a wide. That choice creates a more intimate perspective, almost like you’re standing in the scene with her. And with a vintage wide, the softness at the edges doesn’t get in the way. It adds to the look. Modern lenses try to correct those things, but I like how they make the image feel more organic and less clinical.

I also used the Helios-40-2 for close ups. I stopped it down to f2.8 so the depth of field wouldn’t feel too different from the Vivitar. Even at that aperture, the Helios still has its glow. The skin looks soft and flattering, and the background keeps just enough texture to stay interesting.

I used the Vivitar on purpose as a test, to see if its rendering would match the low-contrast look of my Soviet lenses. And it did. Even though they come from completely different worlds — a Japanese-made lens and a Soviet one — they cut together seamlessly in the edit.

That’s also why I love shooting with vintage Soviet lenses. The way they render soft skin tones, the lower contrast, the gentle sharpness falloff — these are things modern glass is designed to avoid. But to me, that’s the cinematic feel. It’s not about absolute sharpness, it’s about the organic look that shows through in the image. This is why I restore these lenses for filmmakers. I want them to experience the same look and feel without having to wrestle with old mechanics.

Editing & Grading

When it comes to editing, I always think back to cinema. Just like scene coverage, editing is about building a sequence. I use wides, mediums, and close-ups not just as random inserts, but as building blocks. Each angle adds variety, and together they keep the film moving and make it feel connected instead of just a series of separate shots.

Pacing is also important. Not every clip needs to be the same length. If a shot has more impact — what I call a hero shot — I let it breathe. For example, if Qiqi hits a more dynamic pose, I’ll hold that shot a bit longer and let her performance play through. If the shot doesn’t have much happening, I cut it shorter. That balance keeps the sequence moving without dragging, and it makes the stronger moments stand out.

Music is another big part of this process. When I was reviewing the footage of Qiqi, I noticed the shots had this soft, intimate feeling to them. That’s why I didn’t go with something upbeat or flashy. I wanted music that felt romantic but still cinematic.

Normally, I license tracks from Artlist, but this time I had saved a piece I found on Instagram earlier. It fit perfectly. I usually look for songs with vocals, but not pop-style vocals. More like dreamy, airy voices that float above the track. That kind of sound adds mood without pulling too much attention, and it reinforced the feeling that was already in the footage.

For grading, my philosophy is always color correction first. I make sure exposure is right, especially on skin tones. I keep them around 60 IRE and line them up properly on the vectorscope. Once the skin looks correct and natural, then I’ll make creative choices.

Because I was testing the Vivitar against the Helios, I paid close attention to contrast in the grade. If one lens had deeper blacks, I’d lift or lower them so the cuts between shots felt seamless. Seeing how closely they matched in post reassured me that the Vivitar could sit comfortably alongside my Soviet lenses.

As a final step, I used Dehancer for film emulation. They reached out to me a while back to try their plugin, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. It gives me a straightforward film look without the hassle of juggling multiple nodes.

For this film, I went with Konica Centuria 100 DNP with Kodak 2383 print film. That combination gives me a glossy look that reminds me of the fashion magazines I used to study, like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. What’s funny is that I had used this same look in some of my earlier fashion photography work, so it felt natural to bring it into my film work too. It ties back to my background, but it also fits perfectly with the mood I’m trying to bring in this film.

Editing a fashion film reminds me of my stills background. It’s like picking the strongest frames from a shoot, but here, it’s about how they work together. Grading, for me, ties back to what I see in cinema. It’s not about forcing a look with heavy LUTs or gimmicks. It’s about shaping the image so it feels cohesive and filmic, while still respecting what the lens already gives.

In the end, the film look and the vintage lenses go hand in hand. One sells the other. The lenses give me the character, and the grading completes that vision. Together, they create something modern lenses just can’t replicate.

Takeaways

So with the film shot, edited, and graded, here are the biggest takeaways I walked away with.

The first was connection with Qiqi. I kept the direction simple so she could relax into the performance. I wasn’t aiming for perfect posing. I just wanted her to feel comfortable, because that’s when the performance feels natural.

The second was working with natural light. I didn’t bring reflectors or strobes. I just paid attention to where the sun was and used side or backlight to shape the shot. In a fast-paced, unpredictable location like this, sticking with available light meant one less thing that could go wrong.

The third was coverage. A lot of people new to fashion films shoot them like a home video — just rolling on whatever looks good in the moment. What I’ve learned is that if I think in wides, mediums, and close-ups, I end up with a sequence I can actually build with in the edit. It’s a simple framework, but it makes the footage feel intentional instead of random.

And then there’s simplicity. One shot, one direction. Minimal movement, clean framing. That approach kept me quick on my feet and let the footage feel cinematic without overcomplicating it.

Finally, the lenses. The Vivitar and the Helios each had their own character, but they blended into one look because I knew how to work with them. The softness, the lower contrast, that glow on the skin — those are things modern lenses try to avoid. But for me, they make the skin look flattering and give the film an organic quality.

That’s why I shoot with vintage Soviet lenses, and also why I spend so much time servicing and cinemodding them. I like the way they look. They’re not just old pieces of glass to me. They’re tools I know well, and they let me create a look that feels different from what modern lenses give.

Earlier I mentioned how connection, simplicity, and coverage shaped this film. But sometimes it’s easier to see those things in action than just hear me talk about them. That’s why I’ve uploaded the full, uncut BTS from my Insta360. There are no edits or commentary, just the shoot as it happened. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s actually like behind the camera, this is the closest thing to standing right next to me on location. BTS video