Robin Layton’s Latest Short Film Shot on Z 6 MIrrorless

Photographer and Nikon Ambassador Robin Layton lives across from Lake Washington, in Seattle, WA, a 22-mile stretch of water that touches nearly every community in the greater metro area. Robin says it’s her favorite subject to photograph because “it’s always different and something new to see every day.” The lake offers a daily spectacle of breathtaking beauty. She’ll walk her dogs along the lake, sometimes bringing a camera, other times returning with a camera later, to spend hours capturing the natural habitat and wildlife on the lake.

Robin recently created the film, Good Morning, which features the lake, some of its natural inhabitants and those few people who make their way to the lake in the early mornings to exercise.

The film beautifully incorporates segments captured at normal speed and others in slow-motion. Robin explains how slow-motion creates a dramatic effect: “Slow motion shooting gives you the ability to get more out of a single scene than you would otherwise. It forces the viewer to “slow down’ and see things they would miss in normal speed.”

Robin has created other short films using her DSLRs, however for Good Morning, she used the Z 6 mirrorless camera with the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S, NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S and NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S lenses. “The quality of the Z 6 is undeniably Nikon's BEST [video] camera to date,” she says, adding, “My favorite feature is the EVF [Electronic Viewfinder], no more using snap on loupes! It has a cleaner and sharper image overall.” Because of the small size of the camera, Robin found it easy to hand-hold, allowing her to create nice fluid moments, similar, she says, to the effect you’d get using the camera on a gimbal.

The film features an instrumental music soundtrack. Robin says, “I felt this one was a quiet piece,” that didn’t need a voiceover, so she let nature and the music do the talking.

Viewing Good Morning you find yourself transported in the peaceful, serene, early morning on Lake Washington.