Feature Image by: Jarrad Seng

EOS R – 24 Hours with Jarrad Seng

Originally from Western Australia, Jarrad Seng has established himself as one of Australia’s foremost creatives. Whether it’s creative direction, photography, curation or sustaining himself for long periods without food (Jarrad was a contestant on Australian Survivor) Jarrad does things in his own style. Mostly known for his travel & music photography and impressive list of clients, Jarrad’s one of the few people crafty enough to combine business with his passion, and his passport is stamped to the brim as a result.

“I love people, I love travelling, and working in music. So it's about the energy and connecting with people.”

Image taken by Jarrad Seng with a EOS R

Jarrad was excited to capture the intricate art of Samurai sword manufacturing in a rural town called Gifu. As soon as the EOS R reached his hands swordsmith Asano Taro let off a loud bang with flying sparks as he worked on the sword. “I've been working with 5D's, 7D's, 40D's, which are all quite a similar layout,” Jarrad explains. “You know where the buttons are going to be, you have the feel of it. So it was a little daunting to have this fresh bit of equipment in my hands and being thrown straight into the fire, literally.”

portrait of swordsmith Asano Taro, taken with the EOS R. Photo by Jarrad Seng

“There was so much different about this camera, but it also felt strangely familiar. The grip felt exactly the same but when you looked down it took a little while to realize there was so much different about it.”

“The buttons were in different places, there was less of them, it's a smaller body, more lightweight, the screen flipped out, there was just so much going on that slowly and slowly I started realizing, ‘Oh wow, this is really fresh, this is a game changer.’”

image of swordsmiths and Jarred Seng

After an adjustment period of seconds, Jarrad says that the camera became second nature, and even improved on some of the equipment he was used to shooting on. He found that the control ring set to control aperture was a standout feature.

Photo of a street of Gifu taken with the EOS R. Image by Jarrad Seng

“Once you stop thinking about the technical processes it starts becoming part of the muscle memory, and that happened really quickly,” he says.

“That's when it really became fun, because instead of trying to learn new techniques you were utilising them and realising this is a new way of doing it. It actually improved on what I was doing before.”

Image of Jarrad Seng