Finding a Better View

If there’s one thing that defines the work of Jacob Nordin, it’s a palpable sense of ‘being there’. The Swedish photographer and filmmaker is a master of travel, landscape and adventure, with stills and video that are never less than cinematic in grandeur.

Whether training his lens on himself or others, Nordin’s work draws the viewer in with thoughtful colour and composition. With human figures at its centre, his framing allows the observer to revel in exotic destinations, providing vital scale to the majesty of the natural world. It’s a combination that has made him a sought-after creator for outdoor and lifestyle brands.

“Growing up in Sweden, I’ve always felt connected to the outdoors,” he says. “I’ve had an interest in filmmaking since childhood, but it was only when I got out into the world did, I appreciate the joy of combining them both. I remember going to Southeast Asia for the first time and experiencing the sights, sounds and culture…you want to remember that forever, so that’s what I started using my camera to do.”

Jacob continues, “The more I recorded my travels, the more my appreciation grew. When you’re in that mindset, you want to do more. You wake early for sunrise, stay out late and see the stars. You’re more inquisitive and you see things differently.”

A long-time user of Sony cameras and lenses to make his beautiful short films and reels, Jacob has recently started using Sony’s Monitor & Control app – technology which literally helps him see in a different way, and a whole lot more. “I’ve been using Monitor & Control extensively since it came out for the Sony Alpha 7S III,” he says, “and now I use it with my Sony FX3 as well.”

Available for 14 different cameras, including all the latest models, Monitor & Control is an app that enables wired and wireless monitoring, high-precision exposure adjustment and focus control, all via your smartphone or tablet.

“Lots of filmmakers use external monitors,” Jacob explains, “but using Monitor & Control has been a big upgrade because of the way it lets you control the camera as well as see what’s being composed or recorded. And when you use it as a solo creator, which is how I often work, that brings huge advantages.”

“As a solo creator, it’s been truly transformative,” he continues. “For one thing, the app lets me put the camera in places I can’t physically be, like mounted on a car bonnet, yet still be able to control focus or exposure while it’s trained on me inside the vehicle.”

“But the way I use it most often is with the camera on a regular tripod,” he explains. “In situations like that, I can compose the shot how I want it, then move into position and see, in real-time, how the sequence looks. It’s the difference between walking out onto an amazing mountain ledge over a valley and thinking ‘I hope I’ve got a good scene,’ to knowing that’s the case.”

“The app also has more advanced features for monitoring exposure than are available in the camera itself, like Waveform and False Colour,” Nordin notes, “which can be more accurate than histograms and ‘zebras.’ And then there are focus tools like Focus Map, which not only shows what’s sharp, but also how the depth of field extends throughout the frame.”

“It all means I can be tens of meters away from my FX3 and still fine-tune the white balance and exposure settings if there’s a change in the light, or even change the focus entirely if I want,” he says. “It’s also always impressive to see how well the camera’s Eye AF tracks me, so I know everything is perfectly sharp!”

Jacob has also found the app useful when working with others. “Models love it,” he says, “They appreciate being able to see themselves on screen they can adjust their pose accordingly. For professional interview setups it’s incredible, too. You can monitor or change settings on up to four angles without leaving your A-camera, so that’s very useful. It also gives you a great tethering solution when you have an art director taking an interest in your work.”

“Sony’s Monitor & Control app is perfect for creators like me,” Jacob concludes. “Because it syncs the camera with a phone or tablet, it’s more portable than using an external monitor with a cage. It’s given me more control and saved time, but most importantly it’s made me more confident and imaginative as a filmmaker. It’s helped me step in front of the camera, try things I wouldn’t have thought of and really put the viewer in my shoes. The app is free, but that’s priceless.”