Olympus User Magazine

Issue 26 Autumn 2011

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The camera that has everything Fashion meets function for PEN user and pro Jay McLaughlin

Street photography with the XZ-1 Autumn Landscapes Monochrome Magic PEN on the Three Peaks Run 70-300mm Zoom Army Photography with the E-5 Reader Gallery OLY26_001 COVER.indd 1

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CONTENTS

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Spring 2011

This month’s cover was shot by the subject of our Portfolio – Harjinder Tattal

This issue

The warmer weather is on the way so this issue’s full of ideas to get you and your camera out and shooting

Published by Olympus UK Ltd Consultant for Olympus Mark Thackara National Marketing Manager, Consumer Products Olympus User magazine is edited and designed by Bright Publishing Ltd Bright House, 82 High Street Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ Tel: 01223 499450 Fax: 01223 839953 www.bright-publishing.com

UPFRONT

Editorial 01223 499456 editorial@olympususer.co.uk Editor in Chief Terry Hope Deputy Editor Charlotte Griffiths

4-5 | OLYMPUS ROUND-UP

Exciting new lenses, brand new cameras and PEN accessories

6-7 | RSPCA & SUB ZERO

The Olympus-sponsored wildlife competition results and a chilly E-5

INTERVIEW

10 | COMPETITION Win £500 of Olympus kit of your choice

project

Contributors Nick Mason, Matt Kimberley, Duncan Cubitt, Hannah Elizabeth

Advertising 01223 499453 Advertising Manager Matt Snow mattsnow@bright-publishing.com Deputy Ad Manager Maria Francis Key Accounts Mike Elliott

Design and Production

12-17 | PORTFOLIO: HARJINDER TATTAL Olympus user Harj is also a keen fashion photographer with a high-end editorial style

22-25 | MACARONS AND ME Charlotte Griffiths takes us behind the scenes on a food shoot with Dr Tim Kinnaird’s cakes + ALSO INSIDE

TECHNIQUE

18 viva las vegas The new E-PL2 goes old school in Vegas 26 vintage lenses Use OM lenses on the E-System 40 what’s on the menu?

Balance your whites

32-35 | MACRO FLOWERS

Spring’s sprung and brought you new subjects – here’s how to shoot them

36-39 | SPRING LANDSCAPES

Prefer the wider view? Nick Mason has advice on capturing this season

46-51 READER GALLERY PIctures by Olympus–using photographers

Design Directors Dean Usher, Andy Jennings Designers Alan Gray, Grant Gillard, Laura Bryant, Mark George Web Developer Mike Grundel Flash Designer Ashley Norton

Publishing Head of Circulation Chris Haslum Publishing Directors Matt Pluck & Andy Brogden All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Olympus UK Ltd. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Olympus UK Ltd or Bright Publishing Ltd, which accept no responsibility for them

Subscriptions & Back issues All subscription enquiries TelEPHONE 01371 851877 Email subs@olympususer.co.uk FOR Back issues VISIT www.olympususer.co.uk

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kawakita THE INTERVIEW: INTERVIEW BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS | IMAGES maki kawakita

With a dramatic style that blends traditional Japanese art and high-tech Tokyo life as well as finely-polished celebrity portraiture, Maki Kawakita well deserves her status as an ‘Olympus Visionary’ – so we went behind the lens to meet this creative photographer www.olympususer.co.uk | Autumn 2010 | Olympus User

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IT’S SAFE TO SAY that Maki Kawakita is one of a kind. A photographer since 1997, she specialises in celebrity portraiture - specifically musicians – as well as fashion photography and more artistic personal projects that reveal her international influences. Her portfolio includes strikingly creative portraits and her graphic, pop-art-inspired style is much beloved by design fans the world over. She flits between genres, dipping her toes in haute-couture fashion, gritty documentary, classic portraiture and high colour, surrealist cartoon-like tableaus, stringing her wildly-creative experiments together by focusing on her favourite subject - people. On top of all of this, Maki is an ‘Olympus Visionary’ - part of an elite group of photographers handpicked to represent the Olympus brand’. Normally based in New York, we finally tracked her down to Egypt where the globe-trotting photographer took time out from her hectic schedule to answer Olympus User’s questions.

The First Act “My love of photography started when I was studying Graphic Design at a university in Tokyo,” the photographer explains. “One of the required classes on this course was photography, and all the students had to buy a camera.

I bought one and took it with me on a month journey across South America.

When I started taking photos with it, I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do as a career.”

Maki’s perhaps best known for her bold, cartoon-esque images, rich with colour and meaning that - in part - have been sculpted by growing up in Japan. “Tokyo is a hyper-real city and it’s definitely influenced my style,” she says.”I think photographers reflect what they experience in their photography, or better to say, the photographer’s experiences will come out naturally in the photographs.”

Maki’s clever photography seamlessly combines her Japanese heritage with cutting-edge influences, thanks to a childhood that was the perfect blend of old and new. Her mother was a

talented dancer, regularly performing and instructing Maki in Japanese dance and Kabuki theatre, and asides from her conceivably genetic love of these traditional forms of artistic expression, being based in Tokyo exposed the young artist to the fast-moving world of technology and the unique style of the city’s inhabitants.

When it comes to finding her influences, Maki’s far from a finished project: in much the same way that her youth in Tokyo inspires her, her current home - New York City - also adds to her current work. “Many people say New York is like its own country, that has different values to any other parts of America,” Maki says. “It’s because the city is a melting pot and the different cultures are all blended together. This has been always my attraction to the city.”

Bold, Surreal and Dramatic Despite the occasional piece of documentary photojournalism, Maki is known for applying her creativity to the fields of music, entertainment and advertising photography, putting celebrities into humorous, hyper-real situations for truly unique images. Her ‘Box’ series shows famous musicians and singers including Hilary Duff and Missy Elliott reduced to nothing more than heads that have been surrounded by packing material and placed in boxes – but even her more conventional portraits of singers and musicians sparkle with colour and a infectious energy that is representative of the photographer.

“Nowadays, I am more and more into and shooting my fine art project called ‘Makirama’ than commercial work,” Maki says. “In recent years I have been exhibiting Makirama in places like Milan, Italy, and Turkey.

The biggest project I have ever taken on is in Tasmania – and I’m currently working on this to produce a book.”

When asked to describe her style in three words, Maki plumps for “Bold, Surreal and Dramatic,” which accurately describes the witty, theatrerich images that are classic Kawakita.

Her highly visual approach to

CLASSIC KAWAKITA STYLE Maki’s images have been seen across the world in advertising campaigns for Coors Light, Levi Strauss, Virgin Records, Warner Music and Smirnoff. She has also photographed numerous celebrities: Paris HIlton, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowlands and Missy Elliott to name a few. Her work is regularly exhibited throughout the world – visit her website for information on the newest exhibitions and projects.

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MAKI KAWAKITA

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creating images sees the photographer often sketching her vision for a finished image and re-creating her drawing on set. “I usually have a solid idea [of a finished image], but I am always open to being spontaneous,” she says. “I have a notebook, and take notes when I come up with strong ideas but I don’t consciously gather inspiration and ideas as I travel.”

Maki’s constant travel does expose her to a huge world of influences though she’s always drawn to her favourite subject: people. “As I travel so often, I have great opportunities to shoot all genres of photography – however, I get attracted to people,” she says. “Anything to do with people will inspire me to shoot more. For instance if I shoot landscape, I like to have a person in shot. I am always drawn to people and culture.”

Maki enjoys working with all people, whether celebrities or ‘ordinary’, and has a special interest in capturing people who are well known in their fields.“I am interested in shooting Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt mainly because of what they do outside of their acting careers,” she says. “I have much respect for people like them.”

why she likes using the cameras. “We also have some opportunities to sit with Olympus camera designers to express our thoughts on using the cameras,” she says. “It has been a wonderful opportunity to be able to influence other photographers.”

She’s recently had the chance to experiment with the Olympus PEN EP2 - “I love it! I use all my lenses with it,” she says. “The PEN and E-3 are my main cameras, mainly coupled with Natural Born Photographer the 12-60mm. The PEN may be a small The intricate images that Maki creates camera, but it does such a great job often require complex lighting set ups, and takes really sharp photos. Often and considering her impressive people ask me what camera I use ability in this field, it’s quite the because they can see how clear surprise when she reveals that the images are. I also like the she’s a self-taught ‘lighter’. size of the PEN. I’m female “In regard to lighting, I’m and petite so the smaller “Being a completely a self-taught and lighter, the better.”

Visionary has photographer,” Maki The PEN’s HD video been a wonderful says. “I just know what I functionality is something opportunity” need to know. I’m sure if that Maki particularly people assist, take classes, enjoys: she is currently or read technique books, working on a video they will learn more.” piece called ‘Perfectionist’.

Maki uses Olympus cameras “Photographers shooting videos and lenses because they enable her is becoming a real trend,” she says. to create the image she’s imagined “Personally I always like to shoot in her head. “Honestly, I’m not too short movies, so for me it is great that technically involved with the body of cameras come with HD video.” the camera,” she says. “I feel right with It’s always exciting to stumble certain cameras because the images are across such a vibrant, passionate artist the way I want them.” and exploring her huge portfolio of Since 2004 Maki has been an images is richly rewarding experience.

Olympus Visionary, part of a talented Maki’s experimental style means she’s group of photographers who love to always got something new for her use Olympus cameras. As a ‘Visionary’ audience – and will stay well ahead of she spends a good proportion of her the curve for as long as she continues time going on lectures, seminars, to shoot. A truly creative visionary workshops and conventions to explain who’s not to be ignored.

GET CRITIQUED Want to get the Maki seal of approval for your own photography? As part of her work as an Olympus Visionary, Maki takes part in a weekly online photo critique on Facebook.

“There is a photo critique every Wednesday at 3:00pm EST on GetOlympus’s Facebook page, where Olympus Visionaries comment on people’s work when they post the image within the 60 minute timeframe. I’d love to invite all of the UK’s Olympus shooters to join us! Check each week to see which Visionary will be involved in the critique.”

www.facebook.com/getolympus www.makiphoto.com

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18 behind the scenes

Words & Pictures Charlotte Griffiths

The Wild Garlic

It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Charlotte Griffiths as she takes on the challenge to document dinner service at Mat Follas’s restaurant, The Wild Garlic When I’m not putting together issues of Olympus User, I photograph food. My other half is chef, foodwriter and Masterchef 2010 finalist Alex Rushmer, and as well as shooting still-life images of his culinary creations for his popular food blog,

my camera and I enjoy behind-thescenes access to many high-profile food events, exhibitions and awardwinning restaurants. That’s roughly how I came to find myself crammed into the corner of a steam-and-firefilled kitchen one summer’s evening,

BELOW The desserts were stunning, and looked great in the limited quality of light I had to contend with.

dodging screamingly-hot pans, razorsharp blades and a highly trained team of chefs and wait staff who were 100 per cent focused on producing topquality dishes and not at all interested in posing nicely. Photography doesn’t get tougher than this…

Alex had been invited to spend a fortnight in Dorset as sous-chef at The Wild Garlic, the restaurant owned by Masterchef 2009 winner Mat Follas, and it turned out that Mat was more than happy to let me into his kitchen to shoot a dinner service from start to finish. Excited by the challenge, I planned to head down for the final nights of Alex’s two-week stint.

“When I first stepped into the kitchen at the Garlic, I gulped. There was barely any space” “The kitchen’s small – very small,” I was pre-warned, so I knew the size of my camera would be one of the most important factors. I deliberated between the Olympus E-3 and the E-620 before settling on the smaller camera as I’d be on my feet for several hours and wanted to keep my set up as light as possible. In my camera bag I also packed the 25mm f/2.8 pancake lens, the 50mm f/2 macro, 8mm fisheye, ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD and flashgun just in case the lighting in the kitchen was horrendous – as well as my Macbook Pro, a handful of Lexar CF cards and a card reader.

The plan was to create a slideshow of the images that I’d then show to Mat and the team the next day – so the pressure was really on.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

When I first stepped into the kitchen at the Garlic, I gulped. I could touch both sides of the galley-style room at once and there was barely space for the chefs, let alone me and my camera.

A long stainless steel work surface was both the prep area and the ‘pass’ (where dishes are assembled and checked before being served) and the main grill area, where I’d thought all the action and drama would be, was situated at the far end of the kitchen – and all of this was underneath newly installed fluorescent strip

lighting. Not the best situation for a photographer, but I’d have to work with it. How they produce meals of that quality from such a small kitchen I still don’t know!

So if I couldn’t get at the drama, I’d have to fall back on my other plan: shooting candid character shots. I was planning to convert several of the images to grainy black and white, emulating the great Bob Carlos Clarke and his images of Marco Pierre White in ‘White Heat’ (especially seeing as Terry Ireland, one of the chefs at the Garlic and another Masterchef 2010 contestant, bore more than a passing resemblance to MPW). Candid, slightly blurred monochrome images with high grain were the perfect format to convey the high pressure of the situation – and could cover a multitude of sins if I slipped up in the heat of the moment. I was also planning to experiment with incamera editing by using the E-620’s Art Filters – in particular the black and white grainy mode – which seemed to be the perfect mode for

IMAGE TOP In some cases the chefs had done all the compositional hard work for me already!

IMAGE ABOVE More relaxed portraits were only an option at the very end of the night as the chefs cleaned down the kitchen, ready for the next day’s service

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this particular challenge.

I’d also be on the lookout for potential food shots as the dishes left the kitchen. Mat’s menu was full of clever, delicious meals that were decorated with foraged leaves, flower petals and micro-salads, making great subjects for arty shots with a shallow depth of field.

My third target was the little things. As with most events, it’s capturing the detail that matters – small items are often overlooked during the heat of the moment and turn out to be deeply evocative for the people involved, so I’d be keeping my eyes peeled for little photogenic touches.

With two batteries fully charged and two cards cleared, I was ready to shoot. Preparation for the dinner service started about 5pm and we weren’t going to finish until midnight.

This was going to be a long one. www.olympususer.co.uk | Autumn 2010 | Olympus User

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VOLKERS We speak to Philip Volkers: man of the world, passionate photographer, keen adventurer and one of the most creative Olympus users working today about his surreal images and his relationship with his equally hard-working cameras

THE INTERVIEW: WORDS CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS IMAGES PHILIP VOLKERS

CURRENTLY BASED IN LONDON, photographer Philip Volkers has always been a creative individual.

“My initial thoughts after university were leading towards PR, until a friend told me that we are all our own PR companies,” the photographer says. “I then took the leap of faith and followed my heart.”

Thank goodness he did, as Philip is now a hugely celebrated Olympus photographer with a varied porfolio covering fashion, editorial, documentary, backstage, adventure – there’s barely a subject he hasn’t tackled, yet despite their wildly different and often surrealist content, all his images have a playful note to them.

“I try to create a relationship between the viewer and my photographs, so there has to be something in there for people to connect with,” the photographer says. “My job is to provoke people to ask questions. There are probably many ways of achieving this. I do it by combining the things that I know – that interest me.

Of course I like [my pictures] to be beautiful too.”

Philip has been an Olympus user from the off, starting out with an OM1 and learning his photography through trial, error and lots of practise.

“I’ve always taken photos from a very early age,” he says. “At school we had great facilities and I spent loads of time hidden away in the dark room at weekends. It was the place where I could think and have time to myself. After school my interest in the esoteric led me to the School of Oriental and African Studies to study philosophy and religion, then after leaving university, a

trip to India reawakened my passion for photography.

I then started assisting photographers and learnt the ropes that way.”

Philip originally started out by assisting Robert Fairer for US Vogue. “He was doing the beauty and fashion back stage at all the international fashion shows,” Philip explains. “This was great because I also had enough spare time to run around and take my own shots. And who wouldn’t want to photograph beautiful women in stunning clothes? It’s every man’s dream.”

Philip has also enjoyed the support of some mentors along the way. “In 2007 I won the Jeff Vickers/Genix Bursary. ,” he says.”This award was particularly important to me. It was sanctioned by The Royal Photographic Society and carried a considerable amount of prestige – plus Jeff Vickers FRPS became my guide and mentor and his direction has been invaluable.”

In addition to editorial images for magazines, Philip also captures unit and publicity stills for television and film productions, and although this was an unexpected field to find himself involved in, Philip thorougly enjoys the challenge. “I love being around the people and the action on set, and having a very limited time to get my shots,” says Philip. “This has helped develop my guerrilla techniques for social reportage. You are constantly having to dodge, duck and weave. You have to be diplomatic on set but sometimes also very cunning. You have to dart in and get the shot that you want, even if you risk upsetting the director.

“I try to create a relationship between the viewer and my photographs”

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images these pages Philip’s shots of Burning Man fit well with the creative photographer’s surrealist style, which he’s demonstrating to great effect in the piece of work on the opposite page

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“For me there’s always been a real mystique that surrounds the film world, so it’s been great to be on set, see how they actually do it and to be a part of that process. I’m called in for the most important days when all the lead actors are working or there’s an exciting shoot where they have to blow something up. So there’s a lot of time to talk to the actors and the crew. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet talented people who are passionate about what they do.”

Have PEN, will travel One of the most interesting questions to ask a photographer is where they look to find their inspiration, and in the face of Philip’s brilliantly varied portfolio this seems more pertinent than ever.

Philip immediately cites the past as a major source of ideas: “I look at mythology, magic, the occult, the old masters and writers. As humans we need stories and it’s our relationship with these stories that defines who we are. So, archetypes, symbols and myths hold a lot of significance. Fashion too has always had a powerful influence over people, so juxtaposing the two can produce interesting results.”

With his list of photographic influences including such names as Joel Peter Witkin, Floria Sigismundi, David La Chapelle, Tim Walker, Irving Penn and Karsh, it’s clear that Philip’s learning and experience of the world has left him with a vast library of ideas and inspiration to draw on when necessary.

But it’s not just the past that inspires him – it’s the locations and situations that the traveller finds himself in on a daily basis: “I always carry the PEN camera in my bag. It’s light and great to catch images when you are out and about.

I also carry a real notebook, where I jot down trigger words and then try and build a narrative and subtext to my idea. If I find an interesting place I will make note of it and then try and build a story around the location.

Likewise, if I find a designer that I really like then I’ll try and find a situation that

“If there is somewhere I want to be, I work out how to get there with my camera”

works with their style.”

Philip now spends a large portion of his time globetrotting, juggling shoots for a variety of clients – though if he had to choose just one genre to continue with it would be the art of portraiture.

“It’s so demanding, both technically and in terms of understanding people,” he says. “It involves gaining their confidence, helping them to relax and at the same time trying to capture the essence of their character.”

So how did he manage to accrue such a varied portfolio? It seems that his wide-ranging personal interests have helped open doors. “Basically I make photography fit my life. If there is somewhere I want to be I try and think outside the box and work out how to get there. If I get there, so does my camera and it will be captured. Having a camera has allowed me to flow into many different worlds.”

For example, Philip’s skiing photography started because he had been skiing in the same area of the Alps for years and was familiar with the locals. “To begin with they were hesitant to let me photograph them, but after a few seasons we got to got to know each other and they eventually realised that they enjoyed having their pictures taken.”

Philip’s relationship with digital Olympus models started back in 2005, on the sad occasion of his house being robbed and his film cameras stolen. “At this point I decided to get my first digital camera.

Olympus had recently launched the E-1 and after doing some research I saved up and bought it. I was interested in its new dust removal system because I was planning my first trip to Burning Man in the Nevada Desert. It occurred to me that this would be the perfect place to put a new camera through its paces so I got in contact with Olympus. I brought in all my photos, we chatted about my trip and I left with three cameras. The rest is history.”

Philip’s recently returned from his third trip to the Burning Man festival, one of his favourite locations to shoot. “The light, the atmosphere and general setting is mind blowing,” he enthuses. “Burning Man is the festival of all festivals - the wildest festival in the world. I had heard a lot about it from friends

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“I am constantly surprised that my cameras survive as I really put them through their paces�

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and for me it was a no brainer. There really aren’t words that can describe the experience – it’s life, death and rebirth in one week.”

The challenges that he faces when shooting this unique festival are numerous. “The most important [challenge] is simply surviving yourself,” Philip says, “but from a photographic point of view it is quite tricky. You can’t really change your lens as there’s dust everywhere and it’s so fine that it gets into everything – plus it’s alkaline and corrodes metal.

“The light is incredible out there – it changes all the time so you are constantly having to adjust your exposure. This can be very difficult when you are in a dust storm with goggles on and a scarf wrapped around your face. Trying to capture the epic scale of the desert is also very difficult as there are no real land-marks. You would love to capture just how small this can make you feel – a wonderful feeling – but it’s a real challenge. I’m in talks with the Burning Man people to see if I can put on an exhibition of my images in the New Year. I’m planning to show a collection of photographs from the festival that I’ve been working on throughout the three years.”

The Zuiko 7-14mm lens helps with the task of capturing such a bizarre environment. “It gives you a really wide angle without distorting too much but also provides a great perspective. It allows me to get really close up to people. I like to be with them when I am taking a photo, and with this lens I don’t need to look in the back of the camera, so I can interact with them and capture their expressions. Also the shaping of the glass picks out the clouds so well that it’s almost like using a polarising filter.”

Philip’s love of the extreme situation means he needs to rely on his kit being able to survive, and he uses Olympus cameras mainly because of their durability. “They are great quality, compact and extremely robust, which is perfect when you are climbing in the mountains with all your equipment.

They seem to have been designed to be knocked about. I am constantly surprised that my cameras survive as I really put them through their paces.”

This summer alone, Philip’s cameras have been

rigged up to steel monsters at Glastonbury, involved in a mud wrestle and found themselves in the middle of a giant paint fight at the Secret Garden festival.

“Surprisingly, I have rarely broken a camera,” the photographer says, though there has been the odd casualty. “I was in the mountains in Manali, India and my camera fell out of my rucksack and rolled down a slope into a huge waterfall. I was so angry because I had images taken in the Ladhak monasteries where many of the lamas had never even seen a white person. I climbed down and managed to retrieve what was left. The camera was dead, but the card eventually dried out and the information was all there. I was ecstatic!”

An area that the adventurous individual is keen to explore is expedition photography, pushing both himself and his Olympus cameras to the limits. “It would be incredible to be documenting or researching some far-away land. I love to be out in the wilderness. Cities are great but I tend to feel claustrophobic. I am dying to go to Mongolia and live in yurts with the Nomadic peoples – I want to ride horses and fly eagles.”

To finish, this brilliantly creative photographer’s favourite piece of photographic advice is just as extreme and fiery as his portfolio of images appears: “Are you passionate? If not, then don’t bother.”

FINAL THOUGHT PHILIP’S TOP TIP “I always have a surgical medical swab in my bag – they are ideal for cleaning cameras and lenses.”

OLYMPUS HISTORY “I’ve had the OM10, then the E-1, E-410, E-510 and E-3. I haven’t yet tried the E-5 but I‘m looking forward to it.”

FIND OUT MORE Explore the rest of Philip’s portfolio at his website www.philipvolkers.com

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COVER IMAGE Originally commissioned by Neville Hair and Beauty. Styling and Art direction - Tara Sugar. Clothes - stylist own. Jewelery - Pebble London. Make up - Jack Saundercock. Hair by Neville Tucke

PHILIP VOLKERS

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A FOCUS ON FASHION THE INTERVIEW: WORDS HANNAH ELIZABETH IMAGES HARJINDER TATTAL

Long-time E-System user Harjinder Tattal moved into the world of fashion photography almost by accident three years ago and he’s now determined to make his mark in this highly competitive area AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, the competition to break into the world of fashion and beauty photography is intense, and those who are ultimately successful have to have a combination of an exuberant, outgoing personality, the ability to network with others they need for their team, such as make-up artists, stylists and models, and, ultimately, the contacts to place their work with clients or suitable picture libraries.

Those who make the grade often have to work for years before they achieve their breakthrough, but sometimes a photographer gets a break that opens doors and may even move them in a direction which they had never considered moving in before. Enter Harjinder Tattal, Harj to all and sundry, and his entry into the world of fashion and beauty photography couldn’t have been more left field.

“If you had asked me three years ago whether I’d end up working in this area I would have laughed and thought you were crazy,” he says. “My style of photography then was street/candid, although I was very interested in natural portrait photography in the style of Arnold Newman. Fashion and beauty just wasn’t my thing.

“However, that all changed when a friend of mine from work (an ex-stylist), asked me to do a fashion shoot for her. At the time I wasn’t too sure about taking part but it was something different, so I agreed to help out

and we started to scout for suitable locations in London.

A few weeks later we did our first shoot and it was a real eye opener. I had never thought about how hard a fashion shoot could be and what was actually involved in doing a location shoot; it’s not as easy as just showing up with your camera and snapping away, which is exactly what I had in mind! Considering that I had no clue about what I was getting into, the pictures themselves turned out pretty well and we agreed to meet up and shoot some more. A few months later I found myself looking at fashion portfolios online at photo.net and buying the odd photography magazine depending on if there was a focus on fashion/beauty/portraiture, and that’s when I came across an interview with established fashion photographer Stephen Eastwood. That feature, with its strong images and a lot of what Eastwood had to say, made me think I should try and see what I could do.”

The camera that accompanied Harj in those early days was the Olympus E-1, and he’d initially been tempted to invest in the Four

OPPOSITE Model: Liz Scott; MUA and Hair Stylist: Alice Pollock; Stylist and Clothes Designer: Anika Haschke

HARJINDER TATTAL

www.olympususer.co.uk | Spring 2011 | Olympus User

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14 Harjinder Tattal

substantial in terms of size and weight, you get used to it quickly. It’s superbly built, has sharp focus even with the aperture wide open and the image quality is a big step up from the 14-54mm.”

Thirds system for its street photography credentials: it was small, portable, had excellent ergonomics and a silent shutter, plus its weather sealed body made it perfect for carrying around in all conditions.

Ultimately the E-1 gave way to the E-3, and as he started to move into the world of fashion Harj found that the Olympus DSLRs were equally well geared up to coping with that very different world as well. “What I really like about the system is just how great the lenses for the E-system are,” he says. “They deliver superb image quality and construction across the entire range, and that’s a real strength of the system. The build quality on both the E-1 and E-3 is impressive as well: I’ve seen my E-1 and 14-54mm fall down a running escalator landing lens first, and both survived the impact. It was amazing and all that happened was that the camera suffered a minor dink on the body.”

The E-3 is now Harj’s primary camera although he occasionally still uses the E-1 for street photography, and he also picked up an E520 twin lens kit about 18 months ago as “the price was just too good not to snap it up.” “My lenses of choice are the 35-100mm f/2 and 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5,” he says, “and of these two it’s the 35-100mm which is the favourite. Although it’s fairly

Above left Model: Fleur De Geurre; MUA and Hair Stylist: Fleur De Geurre; Stylist: Fleur De Geurre; Wardrobe: Fairy Goth Mother ABOVE right Models: Gemma Birch and Magdelana_K: MUA and Hair Stylist: Jakki O’Connor; Stylist and Clothes Designers: Anika Haschke and Alex Rosenwald right Model: Karis Pentecost: MUAs: Jakki O’Connor and Katie Duckworth; Hair stylist: Magdalena Tucholska; Stylist and wardrobe: Fairy Goth Mother; Photographer’s assistant: Loredana Nicola

Finding a theme Before getting into the studio Harj’s first task is to identify a theme or project that he feels will benefit all involved. “Originally I wanted to be able to see if I could replicate some of the pictures that I’d seen in Stephen Eastwood’s beauty portfolio,” he says, “but right now my inspiration is coming from many sources, such as fashion magazines like Numero or Vogue, ad campaigns on billboards, movies, shows like ‘America’s Top Model’ and finally photographer and model portfolios; models.com is a very good resource for that.

Once I have the project idea I’ll research it as much as I can – I’ll look online and in fashion magazines so that I can start putting together a mood board.

“I often post casting calls on model networking sites such as Model Mayhem to find a suitable model and makeup artist. I’ll then decide on how many styles to shoot, choose the hair and make-up for each look, plan how I’ll light the subject and finally choose the poses and compositions I want to try. I’ll book the studio a few weeks before the shoot and keep in touch with everyone to inform them of any updates or changes regarding the shoot.

“This year I’m hoping to shoot a mix of studio and location projects. I was hiring studios for around eight hours so that I didn’t feel rushed, but I’ve now decided to concentrate on doing shorter shoots. The images are mainly used for my portfolio and that of the model and makeup artists involved, so when I’m in the

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“Right now my inspiration is coming from many sources, such as fashion magazines like Numero or Vogue”

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“Although I do my own styling at present, I would like to work with a wardrobe stylist in the future”

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Harjinder Tattal

studio I’m able to focus more on specific areas of fashion and beauty and on working on any weaknesses I might have. This allows me to experiment on my own terms instead of on a client shoot.

“The hardest part for me has been to stop thinking like a street photographer and to realise that with fashion photography good communication plays a huge part in determining the success of a shoot. I’m also paying more attention to styling, hair and make-up now. I have found learning how to communicate effectively and directing the model as he or she sits in front of the camera a real challenge, particularly if you are both fairly new to the whole experience. Another challenge for me is ensuring that the styling is right for the project.

Although I do my own styling at present, I would like to work with a wardrobe stylist in the future.”

Over the last year Harj has spent more time researching his projects and is allowing up to a month to plan each shoot. “I try to get as much right in the studio on the day as I can,” he says. “I like to do as little retouching as possible and usually limit it to fixing blemishes and cleaning up any hair that is out of place, so it’s pretty minimal.

“I’m still developing my lighting style, particularly in the studio. At the beginning I was looking at dramatic low key lighting but recently I’ve been using just a single flash head fitted with a large octagon soft box and such a simple setup can produce really good results.”

In terms of the future, Harj is now clearly hooked on his fashion and portrait work and he’s looking to cement his growing reputation in this area and to network and develop a relationship with clients who may one day be able to provide him with the income he needs to generate. He’s recently been working on classic pin-up

left Model: Laura-Jo; MUA: Maya Mua; Hair stylist: Noriko; Stylist: Me; Wardrobe: Fairy Goth Mother ABOVE LEFT Model: Catharina Leuke; MUA and Hair Stylist: Katie Duckworth; Sylist: Harjinder Tattal; Wardrobe: Fairy Goth Mother ABOVE RIGHT Model: Liz Scott; MUA and Hair Stylist: Susan Kang; Stylist and wardrobe: Harjinder Tattal

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style images with the styling and wardrobe provided by Fairy Goth Mother/Lulu and Lush and he’s also been shooting ‘look books’ for up and coming, Londonbased clothing designer Anika Haschke.

“Right now, I’m working for myself and my aspirations are to be able to consistently capture fashion/beauty images that are as good as those by Stephen Eastwood, Chase Jarvis, etc,” he says. “If I can do that and have fun at the same time, and if those images help the models and other creatives I’m working with achieve something, then I’d be really happy. If I can also get paid for a shoot or two then that would be even better!

Harj’s tips for success Set yourself some realistic and achievable goals in terms of the kinds of images that you’d like to be able to produce, have a reasonable time frame of maybe five years or so to get yourself established and just go for it! Make sure that you work with people with the same aims as you, sign up to Model Mayhem and make use of all the great resources online and in print that are out there.

www.harjtt.smugmug.com | www.modelmayhem.com

www.olympususer.co.uk | Spring 2011 | Olympus User

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18 weatherproof pictures

Words Terry Hope Pictures Vickie Howard

Beating the weather Proving that there is no such thing as ‘bad’ weather, only the wrong sort of approach, Vickie Howard braved heavy showers to become the Royal Horticultural Society’s Photographer of the Year There are many occasions in the typical British year that might encourage photographers to put the camera away and to head off and do something else, but if you’re allowing such things as rain, snow, ice and fog to discourage you then you could be missing a trick.

Vickie Howard positively welcomes the times when the weather veers away from what would generally be described as ‘good,’ and her habit of reaching for the camera when everyone else is putting theirs away has just helped her to scoop a major national award with

right This shot of tulips in the rain won Vickie the prestigious RHS award

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weatherproof pictures

her shot of tulips being battered by a storm earning her the prestigious title of ‘Royal Horticultural Society Photographer of the Year 2010.’

The RHS-winning shot and the achievement that went with it received widespread coverage back in the summer, even being highlighted on the inside pages of such a venerable newspaper as The Daily Telegraph, and Vickie was delighted with the success of the image. “This was just one of those brilliant moments when you ‘see the shot’, and go running for your camera,” she recalls. “It had started to rain quite hard and I had gone to close my garage door when I noticed the tulips getting battered by the rain but also the sun back lighting them. I grabbed camera, tripod and daughter with umbrella (to hold over me) and took a series of shots, varying the shutter speed until I got the desired effect with the rain.”

above Vickie’s portfolio also includes detailed still-life studies of everyday objects

19

As a photographer who relishes never got on well with these because the element of the unpredictable they seemed bulky and heavy. Then that such things as rain can provide, I met a fellow student who had an Vickie is well served by her camera, Olympus OM1 system, and it was the Olympus E-1, and the awesome so neat and small by comparison waterproof qualities of this and the lenses gave me such pin camera and its successors are sharp results that it became a little short of legendary. natural choice for me.

Photographers have “It was a sad day been known to quite for me when I finally “It was one literally clean them sold my 35mm OM4 of those brilliant off underneath a system but it had moments when you running tap, so earned its keep by see the shot and the odd shower that point. Besides, or two is not Olympus had come go running for going to create any up trumps with the your camera” issues, and if the E-System by then photographer is happy and I was thrilled with to keep on working in the results I was getting such conditions so too will from the E-1, so much so that the gear.

I have stuck with it. However, I’m “The Olympus connection began now finding myself very tempted back in my student days,” says by the thought of an E-5, and I’ve Vickie. “Everyone seemed to be already heard some very good things using Nikon or Canon cameras but I about it…” www.olympususer.co.uk | Winter 2010 | Olympus User

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22 E-5 Extreme Test

Words & Pictures Mark Humpage

The Ultimate Test The Olympus flagship E-5 is billed as being one of the most weatherproof cameras on the planet and Mark Humpage was determined to put this claim to the test on an extreme shoot in Iceland

the kind of rough treatment that would quickly wipe out many rivals. For me it wasn’t just going to be the new features I was going to be testing out but the ability of the E-5 to cope with everything I could throw at it. And I knew just the place that would separate the men from the boys…

Images these pages Mark Humpage took the E-5 to the most extreme location he could think of and Iceland proved to be a challenging environment.

However the camera was up to every challenge that could be thrown at it, which included several dousings and a boat trip to see icebergs close up

Like so many other Olympus DSLR users I’ve been waiting impatiently for the upgrade to the flagship pro model to arrive. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve really enjoyed working with the E-3 and the E-1 before it, but the modern digital world is all about progress and evolving technology and it was time for a new camera to make an appearance and to take on board some of the features that we had seen emerging in the Pen series.

Reading through the specs of the E-5 it appeared as though my wishes had been granted: the new camera boasted an image sensor pulled straight from the EPL-1, increasing the megapixel count from 10.1 to 12.3. There was also a V+ Truepic processor to improve picture quality, hold back noise and further improve the current fast auto focusing, while we were

also being given new art filters, higher ISO sensitivity (6400) and a larger higher resolution 3in LCD screen. Add to that an HD movie recording system, a new SD memory card slot (replacing the older XD) and a few minor firmware and menu tweaks and here was the package.

On paper it all looked good and I was impatient to get my hands on the new model to see what it could do in practice.

For me, however, the camera was never going to be just about cutting-edge technology and hypothetical performance: you see, I am a photographer who covers extreme events – think the eye of a hurricane and riding the Severn Bore – and not only do I have to survive the experience but so too does my camera gear. I’ve become a fan of Olympus cameras because they can stand up to

Heading for Iceland Not only is Iceland one of the most awesomely beautiful locations on the planet, it’s also one of the most extreme. The country hit the headlines during 2010 when a volcano there exploded and pumped so much ash and dust into the atmosphere that it managed to bring much of the world’s air traffic to a halt for several days. Testament to the volcanic nature of the place there are many hot geysers and springs waiting for the photographer along with some jawdropping waterfalls and more ice and snow than you can shake a stick at.

Moisture and dust has always been an issue with my elemental work, and to give the E-5 a test that it would never forget I carefully chose three locations that I reckoned would either break it or prove to me that it could pretty much handle anything I was ever likely to throw at it.

Firstly I headed off to Iceland’s south-west to the small coastal town of Grindavik. A stiff south westerly was a good opportunity to encounter extremely blustery conditions and to shoot surf.

I headed to the ‘beach’ and boy was it blowing: I was having difficulty standing and the wind/sand/salt spray was hurting as it shot against my face. I chose to shoot directly into the sun for some great action wave shots and to test the E5’s high shutter speed (1/8000sec) performance. Despite the challenging conditions the camera behaved perfectly and I was pleasantly surprised at the speed and responsiveness of the auto-focusing. Using my 50-200mm and 12-60mm SWD lenses I achieved image clarity and colour depth that was stunning, and overall it was a good start

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E-5 EXTREME TEST

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“Walking into the lagoon holding the E-5 raised a few eyebrows”

for my first test-run.

Heading back inland I then took off to Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction, the Blue Lagoon, which had been chosen to give me a chance to take the camera into an extreme hot water environment. A geothermal wonder with water naturally heated to 100F, the seawater originates 2000 metres/6562 ft beneath the ground where the temperature is 240°C/464°F and the pressure is thirty-six times the pressure on the earth’s surface.

The composition of minerals in the water is very distinctive and has a high level of silica. Its environment is characterized by high temperature and salinity level of 2.5% which is 1/3 of the ocean’s salinity level. While all of these things are said to make the water good for the skin, it also makes it decidedly dangerous for cameras.

Walking into the lagoon holding the E-5 raised a few eyebrows and created some concerned looks, and it

was not long before I was pulled over and verbally warned by a lifeguard about the dangers of taking equipment such as this into the water. I gave a wry smile and as soon as he’d gone I swam out to take my pictures, snapping away with an 8mm fisheye within inches of the lagoon surface.

Once again auto focus was fast and responsive despite the moisture being created by the steam and I ran through all of the art filters (live view preview mode scrolling by far the easiest and quickest) with the dramatic tone setting winning hands down: I can see this being a hugely popular filter.

In true ‘Extreme’ style I set the camera on movie mode (press live view then movie button) and decided to take the camera for a dip. I submerged myself and camera twice (once using the dramatic tone filter), and both the camera and I came up for air still working fine. The final soaking of the day came when I decided the best way to rinse off all the nasty geothermal www.olympususer.co.uk | Winter 2010 | Olympus User

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22 OLYMPUS USER PROJECT

PROJECT BRIGHTON ROCKS

What happened when we gave the XZ-1 compact to a keen street photographer and asked for some shots from the seaside city of Brighton? Find out in this report

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

WORDS CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS | PICTURES MARK GEORGE

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY is so hot right now.

Accessible, fun, interesting and very addictive, it’s become many photographers’ favourite way to spend a day. Mark George is one of the page designers behind Olympus User – but he’s also a keen street photographer.

“I first started taking pictures about 12 years ago while at college,” Mark said. “My art and photography teacher was a great influence – he knew loads about photography, plus he was a karate blackbelt so you kind of had to pay attention…”

When his course required the purchase of a

‘proper’ camera (as Mark cleverly sold it to his parents) he opted for an Olympus OM10 from his local independent camera shop, influenced by the camera’s appearance and a family connection with the brand. “I liked the design and styling of the OM10 compared to the other options on offer, and I knew that my granddad used to use Olympus cameras as well.”

The course taught Mark the basics of composition and darkroom skills and he just missed the onset of digital capture by a few months. However, learning the basics of photography has stood Mark in good

RIGHT The only occasion Mark has asked permission for a photo: here a Big Issue seller kindly agrees to have his shot taken on the streets of Brighton

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THE XZ-1

This camera’s received accolade after accolade but we were interested to know as a PEN user, what did Mark think of the tiny Olympus XZ-1? “I was pleased with the shots that I got and thought the XZ-1’s Art Filters provided some nice effects to add drama when needed,” he said. “The XZ-1’s lens was really quick and responsive

– plus it coped really well in low light. It’s a great street camera – it’s small and inconspicuous but it’s got so many features and a super fast lens so you’re never short of options. You could easily put it in your pocket and go walking around a town taking great looking shots without being noticed, which is an ideal situation for street work.”

“I love the 17mm pancake for street photography, but the new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm is definitely quite tempting” stead – “When the first digital cameras came out it was great to transfer those skills to the exciting new technologies.”

Mark continued his interest in photography long after his course finished and continued his association with the brand by becoming a casual collector of other Olympus cameras. Both film and digital models have found their way into his camera bag.

“I’ve also got an E-P1, PEN FT, a Trip and a 35-S. I’ve become a bit of a collector, thanks to eBay!” As Mark’s always keeping an eye on the online auction site for new finds, it’s difficult to predict what new addition will come next but he’s definitely keen to increase the number of lenses in his arsenal.

“I might get one of the new PEN lenses which have just been announced. I love the 17mm pancake for street photography, but the new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm is quite tempting... either that or maybe one off the new PENs to replace my trusty E-P1.”

ABOVE AND LEFT The pier in Brighton was a great venue to catch some alternative scenes: including flying fish and a rollercoaster that was shut down for maintenance

Hit the streets Now a full-time graphic designer, Mark keeps his photography going in his free time and has become particularly interested in candid street portraiture, grabbing shots of every day life that show humour, patterns, clever positioning – or just something that appealed to the photographer. So what is it about street photography that Mark finds so compelling?

“I first got into street photography after seeing some of Matt Weber’s shots taken in New York. He’s got a great eye and has captured some amazing street scenes over the years.”

It’s also the unpredictable nature of street shooting that Mark enjoys. “I don’t look at my street pictures until I upload them maybe a week or so after they’ve been taken, so it’s a surprise to see who or what I captured, things in the background and elements of the picture that I had forgotten about,” he explained.

“It’s a similar feeling to when negatives used to come back from the developers. You don’t always know what you’re going to get.”

Recently Mark took a trip to Brighton, a city famous for its weird and wonderful inhabitants, www.olympususer.co.uk | Autumn 2011 | Olympus User

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24 OLYMPUS USER PROJECT

Above and far right (INSET) The addition of art filters to the XZ-1 provide more creative options to the street photographer. These scenes were enhanced with the “Pinhole” and “Diorama” filters IMAGES opposite page After shooting in colour, Mark decided these images would be more suitable in black & white. This is a popular style for street images as it gives more focus on the subject and content of the picture rather than displaying a distracting mix of colours

architecture and colourful events, so we gave him the Olympus XZ-1 compact to try out as a tool for street photography in the city by the sea.

“Brighton is a great place for street photography – I managed to find some different subjects that I wouldn’t normally be able to capture when shooting at home near Cambridge,” he said. “Cambridge on a Sunday afternoon is fun, it’s not as busy as some bigger cities and you seem to get some interesting characters strolling about – but Brighton was great. There were people sleeping on the beach, people enjoying the pier – I decided to visit the touristy areas as this is where you tend to get a good mixture of characters, and tourists will often be busy entertaining themselves which provides great opportunities for photos.”

Not being spotted is a crucial part of shooting street images – you can make use of a technique called ‘shooting from the hip’ where the camera is held at waist height rather than over the photographer’s face.

It’s a very hit or miss technique at first and takes a lot of practice to guarantee results. Mark’s approach is to to compose an image by eye before raising the camera and then quickly frame the shot on the LCD screen, but the development of flipout LCD screens on the new PEN Lite is an exciting prospect as it combines a shoot from the hip style with the ability to compose an image while on the move. “Settings-wise, I like to keep my options open but a typical setting would be something like

“Once you’ve spotted a potential target, it’s all about finding the right composition – and being lucky with the timing...”

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE LAW

One of the aspects of street candid portraiture that put people off trying this genre are the potential altercations between subject and photographer, despite it not being illegal to take pictures of people in public spaces. So has Mark ever encountered any trouble?

“Not that I remember!” he laughed. “I tend to point, shoot and walk on, but if I do get clocked by the subject, just a little smile is enough to stop any confrontation. I try to remember that taking someone’s photo in public without their permission isn’t illegal, people are just part of the street scene. I don’t often put myself in a position where a shot might be a risk or morally incorrect – the only time I have asked permission for a photo was the Big Issue seller in Brighton (see previous page) and he was happy for me to take his photo, just not to show his face.”

ISO 400, shutter-priority set to about 1/200sec which normally gives me around f/7.1,” the photographer said. “For composition, I look for patterns, unusual characters – but I also like using posters or ads behind people to show contradictions or imbalances – Matt Weber does this with his New York Subway shots.”

There’s a new wave of slightly more confrontational street photography, where cameras are pushed into people’s faces (see Bruce Gilden) to capture reaction shots – but Mark definitely prefers the quieter approach. “I just personally think it’s too intrusive and I’m guessing [Bruce] has more interaction with his subjects and potentially more altercations with the flash

going off in people’s faces!”

So how would Mark advise photographers who were keen to try this style for themselves? Firstly, he has a tip from his film-shooting days: “Choose your digital shot slowly, as if you were working on film – as taking fewer shots will make your images better in the long run,” he said. “Then try to blend in to the crowd – don’t hang around in one place for too long with a camera round your neck. Get a wrist strap for your camera and move around as much as possible looking for interesting people or ‘street wildlife’. Once you’ve spotted a potential target it’s all about finding the right composition and getting lucky with the timing...”

SEE MORE: WWW.FLICKR.COM/ PHOTOS/SCARAMANGASTREET/

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18 FIRST LOOK

Word & Pictures Charlotte Griffiths

E-PL2 in Vegas Charlotte Griffiths gets her hands on this exciting new camera at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

THE PEN SYSTEM is quickly expanding to become an impressively-specced range of cameras, and this newest addition to the EP family is no exception. The new E-PL2 was announced in January of this year and combines the ease-of-use of the E-PL1 with some of the controls from the E-P2 – and even throws in a few new features for good measure.

I got a chance to take a look at this new camera when it was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and in keeping with the camera’s retro style I took it to a vintage car museum and for a stroll downtown to the older areas of the city.

Specifications 12.3 megapixels TruePic V Engine Supersonic Wave Filter 4/3” Hi-Speed Live MOS sensor Pop-up internal flash HD video capture ISO 200-6400 Six Art Filters

KEY FEATURES: In iAuto mode, pressing the central OK button on the back of the camera brings up the Live Guide mode first seen in the E-PL1, which enables newcomers to photography to make creative decisions about their pictures.

There’s also a in-built menu that offers shooting tips as well as advice on picking accessories to fit the E-PL2.

The redesigned collapsible 14-42mm M.Zuiko Digital kit lens is smaller and lighter than the previous incarnation and has internal focusing which makes it much quieter when refocusing while shooting video. The lens also has a new fitting at the front that enables it to accept the new range of lens converters (more on those on page 42).

On the back of the camera, as well as the new wheel there’s a dedicated magnification button that lets you check the focus of images with a quick move of the thumb. The red video button can be very handy for shooting quick video clips or can be altered to adjust other functions.

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My favourite new addition to the E-PL2 is the new Art Filter, Dramatic Tone, which we’d previously seen on the E-5 DSLR. Coupled with this is the ability to add borders to your pictures and also adjust the strength of the filter effect applied. I’m a big fan of lo-fi images and love shooting with Olympus’s Art Filters anyway, so quickly found myself leaving it in this mode and happily capturing gritty pictures of Las Vegas.

The vintage cars looked fantastic with Dramatic Tone – it really made the most of the reflections on their highly-polished surfaces. I also tried shooting up the aisles with Diorama for a model-like effect or just to blur the edges, and experimented with Pinhole to add a vintage feel to the picture set.

Though I was delighted with the shots of the cars, I’m a much bigger fan of street photography and where these filters really came into their own was downtown Vegas. The camera was small enough to conceal and the Dramatic Tone filter (again – it quickly gets very addictive!) added HDR-like effects to every shot.

It was fantastic for shooting the towering hotels and forgotten backstreets and got even more impressive when the sun had set and the famous neon lights were illuminated. I wish I’d had even more time to run around with the camera – here’s hoping we get to go back next year…

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VIVA LAS VEGAS

FIRST LOOK

ABOVE The Dramatic Tone Art Filter gives a sort of HDR-like effect, great for shooting skyscapes.

This was actually shot while on the move in a car RIGHT AND BELOW RIGHT Downtown Vegas is fantastic for street portraits of the old neon lights and gritty surfaces BELOW LEFT The new border feature creates fantastic retrostyle prints in camera

See more of Charlotte’s images from her trip on her Flickr site: www. flickr.com/charliegriffiths

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26 OLYMPUS USER PROJECT

PROJECT FILM STAR

Photography is driven by digital technology, but does that mean the Olympus cameras of yesteryear can no longer perform? Alkan Hassan set out to show that they still do the job WORDS TERRY HOPE | PICTURES ALKAN HASSAN

FEW CAN DENY that photography’s future is digital and to prove the point there are some amazing cameras around these days which can produce incredible results. Digital technology gives you instant results, a life free from processing costs and a memory card which can be erased and used again and again. You can share, print and archive images with ease and even use clever features such as Art Filters to manipulate your image the moment you press the shutter. Why on earth would you ever hanker after the good old days of film?

Well, the fact is that photography didn’t just begin with digital technology and there were many fine cameras around in the past. Much of Olympus’ reputation as a serious player in the market was built on the back of its OM SLR system for example, and the original OM-1 was a sensation at the time of its launch in 1972, being smaller, lighter and way sexier than some of its bulky contemporaries. The lens system that backed up that camera and those that came after it was also extensive and highly regarded, and although film may have fallen out of favour it’s a mistake to think that the original SLR has nothing to offer in terms of performance and quality of results.

Certainly photographer Alkan Hassan would argue that his camera – an Olympus OM-2n – is perfectly capable of producing pictures that are more than capable of standing comparison with anything its digital cousins can output, and furthermore he feels that the whole philosophy behind film is far more suited to the way that he wants to work. He’s recently returned from a three-week trip of a lifetime to Japan and in his own words “it was a convenient

“I wanted to capture a realistic slice of everyday life – not holiday snaps” Alkan Hassan

marriage between a lifelong ambition to visit and a more recently developed passion for making photographs.”

“My parents were originally from Cyprus,” he says, “but I was raised in London and am now based in Brighton. I’ve had an interest in Japan ever since I was young, especially the culture and its history, and when I finally got the chance to go there my goal was to avoid the obvious imagery from this country that is often presented. I wanted to capture a realistic slice of everyday street life - not holiday snaps, no skyscrapers in Tokyo and no temples in Kyoto, because we’ve all seen these things before.”

Alkan’s journey around Japan started in Tokyo and he then travelled west, crossing through the Kansai area which was to serve as his main base and eventually ending up at Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima on the western side of Japan. “My route allowed me to visit a new city or area pretty much every single day,” he says. “The Kansai area encompasses a few major cities, so that’s where most of my time was spent. Osaka and the surrounding

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SHOOTING FILM

and printing pictures with such an old camera. In Japan no one bats an eyelid, and every single camera shop I went in had dedicated areas for film, while around half of the convenience stores found on street corners will have a few rolls of 35mm tucked away somewhere. A wine shop next to my hotel in Shibuya even had a dedicated film section!”

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

For his Japan project Alkan used old favourite films such as Fuji Superia, Reala and the odd roll of Kodak Portra.

“If the truth be told I used whatever I could get my hands on while I was out there,” he says. “The fantastic thing about Japan is that they’re still really big on using film, whereas over here in the UK you’ll get all kinds of strange reactions to taking photographs

areas always had particular interest to me because, for such a large built up area, it has something of a reputation for being a bit ‘rough round the edges’ compared to places like Tokyo, and it gave me the opportunity to explore some of the slightly grittier urban back streets and markets where there was no risk of bumping into any tourists.”

A Film Approach So what made Alkan, who incidentally does also own a state-of-the-art DSLR kit, decide to use film cameras and, in particular, a vintage Olympus SLR for this particular assignment? “When you’re travelling on your own and you’re moving from one city to another, the size and weight of your equipment is important,” he says. “My film SLRs and lenses are less than half the size of my full-frame digital equivalents, and I was able to move around

with my camera and an extra two lenses quickly and discreetly, which is exactly what you need with street and reportage style photography.

“The Olympus OM system cameras are great to use, and I honestly believe they’re probably the greatest cameras ever made. I promise I’m not just saying that because this is Olympus User Magazine: the fact is that they are unbelievably compact and ergonomic, operation is extremely simple and the shutter dial works in parallel to the aperture ring.

The design completely makes sense to me, and they feel good to hold and use: nothing in the digital arena even comes close.

“The viewfinders on these cameras are absolutely amazing too. I really believe that DSLR users have forgotten, or maybe just never knew, just how bright and large 35mm viewfinders were. If anyone reads this and they happen to have an old 35mm camera

IMAGE THESE PAGES Alkan’s preference for the OM2 was born from his desire to take candid shots of everyday life in Japan such as these – the size and portability of the 35mm camera kept him away from his DSLR kit

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sitting in a cupboard somewhere, or maybe if they see one going cheap at a car boot sale, they should pick it up and take a look and they will be amazed.

“Aside from all of these things, however, there’s just a certain something about the ‘feel’ of using a vintage film camera: the noise and vibration of the shutter, winding the film lever, having to manually focus the lens and having so much control over depth of field. Using a film camera feels like fun, whereas using a digital camera feels like work. When you fly half way across the world, you want to have fun when you get there.”

There were also practical reasons why Alkan was not keen to take a DSLR kit with him on his travels. “DSLRs are big and heavy,” he says. “I’m not one of these guys who likes to walk around outside with an enormous camera with an even larger lens hanging from a neck strap. I like to take shots quickly and quietly when people aren’t aware and I don’t want to attract attention to myself. There’s also the fact that DSLRs, in

my opinion, are terribly ugly things, just massive black lumps of moulded plastic. Conversely OM film bodies are small, solidly built and, as a bonus, just somehow carry a general feeling of style and sophistication, something that a DSLR can’t match. If you’re visiting the Far East try taking a big DSLR into a tiny local market: you’ll stand out like a sore thumb and will just attract attention.”

Despite his misgivings, Alkan does concede that digital cameras have their uses and he’s experimented with a mix of new and old systems, investing in an adapter which allows him to mount his Zuiko lenses on the front of his cutting edge DSLR. “The picture quality you can get from old Zuiko glass is astonishing,” he says. “Most people have a hard time noticing the difference between these images and ones taken with modern digital lenses, which I think speaks volumes for just how finely crafted they are.”

“There’s something about a vintage camera – using one feels like fun, whereas a digital camera feels like work”

IMAGES THESE PAGES The Zuiko lenses that Alkan is using on his OM cameras are still so good that he’s able to use them, via an adapter, with his high end, full frame DSLRs

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IMAGES THIS PAGE Travelling throughout different areas of Japan placed the photographer in a multitude of different environments – from urban streets to more rural villages – all the while capturing life with his OM2

The discipline that film introduces into the life of a photographer was another reason why Alkan was so keen to reach back to the past for his camera and lenses on this occasion. “In this day and age the average digital user probably has a lot of trouble at the thought of going back to a world where you have to pay a substantial amount of money for every 36 photos you shoot,” he says, “but the fact is that in those days you had to make every shot count.

When you’ve got something to lose just as much as something to gain you’ll think twice before you fire the shutter.

“My personal photography came on leaps and bounds once I started using film. The most pivotal moment for me was raising the viewfinder to my eye and then putting the camera back down again without taking a shot. That’s the exact moment where you can say you’ve subconsciously developed an eye for photography, when you can somehow see the picture in your head before you’ve committed it to film and, realising it’s not as good as it should be, you’ve saved yourself an exposure.”

The remarkable thing about Alkan is that he is not a long term film user who is stubbornly refusing to jump on the digital train. Instead he cheerfully confesses to having a high-end DSLR tucked away in his gadget bag and his affection for film is self discovered, not a throwback to an earlier time in his

PRIME LENS CHOICE Alkan took three lenses with him, a 24mm, 50mm and a 135mm.

“Film cameras were my first introduction to prime lenses and I have never looked back,” he says. “Aside from the quality and speed advantages, there’s just something amazing, compositionally speaking, that starts to develop from your photographs when you use primes. At first it might seem unimaginable that a lens which can’t zoom will ever get you the picture you want, but it’s amazing how you find yourself adapting. I only use prime lenses, even when using DSLRs.”

career. “I’ve only been using SLR cameras for a few years,” he says, “but when it comes to film I wouldn’t touch another brand because the design philosophy of the OM system fits my shooting style so well. In terms of a digital system that comes close, I think the mirrorless designs have an amazing amount of potential, but my ideal would be for Olympus to produce an OM-style body incorporating a full frame digital sensor. That would be show-stopping and I would be first in line to buy one!”

Alkan is planning an exhibition of his Japanese images in the near future and is also looking at having some large analogue enlargements produced. “I have many more images I’ve yet to show,” he says, “and will be updating my website with new content as time goes on. Most importantly, however, the pictures I took in Japan will serve as a reminder to me of my travels, and I hope I’ll be able to look back at them and remember the experience fondly.”

Contact: WWW.NIHON35.COM

See the other images from Alkan’s Nihon35 collection WWW.ALKCHAN.COM

Alkan’s other photo projects

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Olympus Converters If you’ve got the updated kit lens that goes with the Olympus E-PL2 then you’ve got access to three keenly priced lens adaptors that could revolutionise the way you see the wider world WORDS & PICTURES TERRY HOPE

The kit lens that comes with your Olympus Pen camera is designed to be something of a workhorse, capable of covering everything from a decent wide angle (28mm equivalent) through to a short telephoto (84mm equivalent). For anything beyond this you might have to start thinking about investing in a separate lens which, financially, you might not be quite ready for.

So, is there any way around this quandary that might offer a budget solution? Well, actually, the launch of three new converters by Olympus might just be something worth considering. With prices that shouldn’t break the bank, each of these converters, which click into the bayonet fitting on the front of the new 1442mm kit lens that comes with the latest E-PL2 camera, is designed to allow you

to increase the versatility of your standard do put extra glass in front of the lens and zoom instead of having to buy new lenses. so, although there is no mention of this in I was given the chance to work with all the specifications, it is likely that they have three converters, which are designed a small impact on the amount of light to give you further options at the reaching the sensor, but because they wider end of the focal length become an integral part of the lens spectrum. Top of the range you’re using, any compensation is the FCON-P01 Fisheye that might be required is done “All three are Converter, which is priced at automatically. In short you light and small around £125, then comes just snap them on, compose the WACON-P01 Wide your image and then fire and click onto the Converter costing around away. Really simple, and front of the lens £75, and finally there is that’s exactly what they were in seconds” the MCON-P01 Macro designed to be.

Converter, yours for a very I set out on a series of reasonable £42 or thereabouts. shoots with the converters All three are very light, very small and tucked away in my pocket, looking for eminently transportable, and they click into situations where each of these nifty little the front of your kit lens in seconds. They products could be used to good effect.

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THE FISHEYE CONVERTER I STARTED OFF with the Fisheye Converter, which really is quite an impressive little thing. At 112g it feels solid and substantially made, contains its own group of three lenses in three groups and the front element is surrounded by a raised metal lip which is designed to prevent the worst of any flare while avoiding the threat of vignetting (corner darkening), caused by the extreme field of view catching the edges of a normal lens hood.

While the kit lens can capture a 28mm viewpoint (35mm format equivalent), the Fisheye Converter lets you achieve a 20.8mm angle, with an impressive 120-degree diagonal angle of view. What you don’t get, however, is the classic circular image, the kind of look that was hot in the seventies and that originally gave the fisheye lens its name. Instead you get a pretty well corrected image which is visibly wider than the one you got without the converter.

The fact that the image does look so normal is a credit to the lens designers, who have obviously corrected the optics in this converter to a substantial degree, but it does mean that this is not an

BELOW RIGHT The lower you go with your camera viewpoint the more pronounced the fisheye effect becomes BOTTOM I looked directly down on this bed of snowdrops to utilise a little distortion and was able to get within a few centimetres of my subject

‘effects’ lens: rather it’s a way of squeezing more into the frame, and in that respect it does an excellent job. The closer you get to your subject the more likely you are to see distortion towards the edges of the frame, especially if you tilt the camera up or down.

One thing I was quite keen to try out was the built-in Fisheye mode in the camera’s Scene Menu: how would it compare to a piece of glass costing over £100 which, ostensibly, was there to do the same job?

Overall the effect was similar, but the converter gave a wider field of view and also a better fisheye feel.

You can still alter the zoom, but the best look I got was at 14mm.

“The Fisheye Converter lets you achieve a 20.8mm viewpoint” FCON-P01 FISHEYE CONVERTER

SPECIFICATIONS STREET PRICE: £125 LENS CONFIGURATION: Three lenses/Three Groups MASTER LENS: M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 FOCAL LENGTH: 10.4mm (20.8mm 35mm format equivalent) DIAGONAL ANGLE OF VIEW: 120º CLOSE FOCUSING: 0.19m MAGNIFICATION: 0.11x (0.22x 35mm format equivalent) DIMENSIONS: 62mm x 38mm WEIGHT: 112g

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