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Grows more flexible with age. The new CFV-39 features a sensor that is twice as large as leading 35mm DSLRs and matches the iconic design of your V System camera perfectly. The CFV-39 allows you to choose between two image formats, 29 megapixel square (5412 x 5412) and 39 megapixel rectangular (5412 x 7212 pixels) and can also be used with traditional view cameras. The CFV-39 is compatible with the 202 FA, 203 FE, and 205 FCC models, features ISO speeds from 50 to 800, and a capture rate of 1.4 sec per capture with 39 captures per minute. The Hasselblad CFV-39 – transforming your V System film camera into a high-performance digital workhorse.
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editorial
It is incredibly simple to become a Hasselblad Master: just a nanosecond in time and unique photographic talent is all it takes to become part of Hasselblad history. The reality, however, is that most photographers do not have what it takes; but the select few who possess the elusive “x factor” can look forward to a great future in photography. In the spring of 1940, the Swedish government approached thirty-four year old Victor Hasselblad and asked him if he could reproduce a camera identical to one conquered from Germany. His answer was, “No, but I can make a better one.” Victor immediately went about establishing a camera workshop, set up in a shed in a car repair shop in central Gothenburg. Right from the very beginning, Hasselblad began producing the best camera and lens systems, inspiring and cooperating with the most talented photographers in the world. These include landscape photographer, Ansel Adams. In the mid 1950s, he photographed the then-isolated Yosemite Indian reservation – taking black and white images that are today considered historic, while still remaining just as vibrant and beautiful as when they were taken. There was also the young Annie Leibovitz, who worked her way behind the scenes to portray the world’s greatest rock icons and pop stars – among them John Lennon and Yoko Ono in their New York apartment in the Dakota building, on that fateful December day, in 1980, when John was shot. Annie Leibovitz’s photography will be seen and appreciated by generations long after we are gone; and the best bit is that she continues to be a very active photographer – a supreme heavyweight – who is still producing plenty of new work. Very soon we’ll be celebrating another generation of Hasselblad Masters – though they are no longer selected by Hasselblad itself. In the middle of January, 2010, the next generation of masters – all possessing the famous “x factor” – will be in the spotlight. The amazingly talented photographers went through one of the toughest international photo contests around: the Hasselblad Masters Award. 15.000 images were submitted from all around the world. These were then processed and judged by two international juries – as well as the general public who had the right to cast votes –, which finally resulted in the selection of this year’s ten Hasselblad Masters. This means that we can confidently say that those selected are the real thing – they are all truly Hasselblad Masters. And now the ten photographers can expect a lot of work: to start with, over the next months, they have to produce pictures for the Hasselblad Masters Book, Volume II – Emotion, which will be published in September. In addition they will be busy with numerous photo exhibitions around the world – including the Visual Gallery at photokina –, where visitors will be able to enjoy their impressive work. All this and more, because these photographers have outstanding talent and only needed a nanosecond to capture a unique moment in space and time. We hope you enjoy the new issue of VICTOR online.
Content
Equipped with an H3DII-31, Alberto Peroli documents the Smile project in Bangladesh – this snapshot was taken in a Khulna hospital (ri.)
04 >> news In an interview with Hasselblad’s new CEO Dr. Larry Hansen, and Director of Product Management Peter Stig-Nielsen, they explain what to expect from Hasselblad in 2010; and why it’s all about the best picture.
06 >> alberto peroli In October, 2009, the Italian photographer documented Smile – a social project in Bangladesh. Using an H3DII-31, he produced some impressive photos of everyday life in slums, schools and hospitals.
20 >> High five Which photographers have made it to the top? International advertising agencies present their five candidates for the pantheon of the best (commercial) photographers in the world.
22 >> Mark zibert Pure dynamics – Canadian photographer, Mark Zibert, captured the Chinese masses and their sports idols, as part of a large-scale Adidas campaign for the summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
32 >> peter mathis The pictures by Hasselblad Master, Peter Mathis, capture the Austrian’s delight and fascination for sports and action, always showing the decisive moments of peak human performance.
36 >> preview Whether photographing a real or a staged wedding, the Australian, Rodney Hobbs, always captures the most beautiful day in a person’s life in sensitive, pathos-free pictures.
Yours, Christian Nørgaard, Photographer Relations Manager Hasselblad
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victorNews determined to build the best In a resolute forward move, Hasselblad has been transformed from the premium manufacturer of the finest, professional analogue cameras to the market leader of medium format DSLR cameras. Newly appointed CEO, Dr. Larry Hansen, says it’s time to switch from revolution to accelerated, steady evolution, maintaining focus on Hasselblad’s core principle: building the best camera in the world. VICTOR talked with Larry Hansen and Director of Product Management, Peter Stig-Nielsen.
VICTOR online: Mr. Hansen, what triggered off your joining Hasselblad and, after having been Chairman, taking on the role of CEO as well? Dr. Larry Hansen: I’ve been following Hasselblad closely for quite some years, with great admiration for the cameras and their market position. You know, this company has dominated professional photography for the past 60 years, and has been a driving force to the extent that, for anybody with a passion for photography, this is definitely the place to be. That’s why I am here. And because I am thrilled by the challenge. VICTOR: The challenge? Hansen: Well, looking at the state of the high-end camera industry after years of digital revolution, one could easily be scared off. A long list of renowned companies like Polaroid, Agfa, Bronica, and Contax have gone out of business and others, including Kodak, Hasselblad and Mamiya, have suffered huge losses, even though they knew early on what was coming, and even though they had many resources to invest. There still is a lot of room for failure – for everybody. So this is the challenge. VICTOR: So what will change at Hasselblad? Hansen: Realizing that we are steering the company within an area of constant digital evolution, we not only need Hasselblad’s burning passion for non-compromising photography and courage to set extreme standards for image quality – we need more. Our core competences have been extended to include prime optical, electronic, digital hardware and software expertise. Nowadays,
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Dr. Larry Hansen, newly appointed CEO of Hasselblad
Peter Stig-Nielsen, Director of Product Management
digital innovation is tied in with our photographic virtues, and is at the core of all we do. Our basic business model has changed too. In the past, our cameras were made up of modular bodies onto which you could attach lenses, film magazines, and viewfinders. Moving into the digital age we have had to change our business model in such a manner that our modern camera platform, the H1, has become Hasselblad’s DSLR camera line, rather than a camera body for every 3rd party digital back vendor to use. This move has secured our strategic position for the future, but it has created difficulties in our customers’ perception of the brand; they have claimed that we “locked out” 3rd party products to achieve our business goals. VICTOR: What does this mean for the customer? What happened to
customer relations during the move from a world of film to the DSLR world? Hansen: First of all, that we will stay close, even closer to our customers. I have seen letters from Victor Hasselblad to Ansel Adams, where he refers to product refinements dated back to 1968, and I have met Buzz Aldrin and learned how Victor Hasselblad personally followed the development of the Lunar camera very closely. In the first chaotic years of our digital transition, we succeeded by focusing very narrowly on the needs of the very high-end professional photographer, but I believe we missed out on the relationship with a section of our V customers. I intend to put a lot of effort behind keeping Hasselblad in tune with the very top end of photography, expanding on our position as a market leader in
the high-end professional segment. Now, having reached an outstanding position with our current digital cameras, we can expand our relationships with all those customers who own a Hasselblad camera – H and V. VICTOR: In what way? Peter Stig-Nielsen: Take a look at our H4D high-end DSLR camera line, which has been produced with a modern, digital fit lens line and optical accessories developed by combining a series of advanced electronic, optical, digital and mechanical elements. The result is that an image captured through a high definition wide-angle lens, and mounted on a tilt/shift adapter, comes out perfected from aberrations, distortions and light fall off. Just this year, this core set of features was transferred to the classic V-cameras, where Hasselblad’s digital backs now perfect the full line of Carl Zeiss lenses. In my view anyone who has invested in a Hasselblad camera is a Hasselblad customer, no matter which digital back or film magazine is attached. Our many Hasselblad photographers support one lead strategic feature, which is the use of central lens shutters in all our lenses, to ensure that any exposure can be flash-synced at shutter speeds up to 1/800 sec. This allows for freedom of operation, which all photographers love. In the times to come, I look forward to seeing Hasselblad get back and deliver new benefits with specific services and offerings. Essential to the whole equation is our quest to provide our loyal customers with the best possible system. Even more important is to offer the best support, technical service and products focused on our customers’ needs. Hansen: Looking at our products, I’m very impressed by the detail and color rendering of the images captured by the sensors in a Hasselblad camera. Parts of the image perfection is closely related to our imaging software, Phocus. The latest version of the Phocus software offers a choice of “light” and “standard” use, improving our service for the photographer who doesn’t want to spend any time at all with software. Another way to open up to a wider use of the Hasselblad raw files is through the support from Apple and Adobe application environments. Today, all Hasselblad
raw files open directly into the Apple Finder and Aperture and into Adobe’s Camera Raw and Lightroom. VICTOR: So what’s next? Stig-Nielsen: New photographic products and features that will leverage on what we’ve achieved in the past five years, of course. 2010 starts out with our launch of the H4D line of high-end DSLRs, employing our TrueFocus solution to the traditional multi-point auto-focus system. TrueFocus uses modern gyro sensors and advanced electronics to establish necessary focus corrections in a focusand-recompose capture situation. Hansen: Whenever possible, we will also make the new technologies developed for the H available to our V customers. This means, quite simply, that owners of a V system, whether they bought it in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, can turn them into top level digital systems by using our CFV-39, for example. Or that by applying our digital lens optimization technology – originally developed for the H2D and H3D – we can even improve the performance of the Carl Zeiss lenses for these cameras. VICTOR: Does all this lead to a new corporate vision? Hansen: I’d like to see the brand remain faithful to its principles. One of those principles is to do our best to ensure that our customers have opted for the right system. This is also derived from how we measure up in questions of consistency and customer care. With the expansion of our core competences into the digital world, and with our new business model supporting Hasselblad’s position as a high-end DSLR manufacturer, I look forward to guiding us into a sound, and customer oriented, future. 60 years ago, Victor Hasselblad already explained that our inspiration was to build the best camera in the world and to be the best partner for our customers. Nothing has changed in that respect – it’s our guiding principle. I would probably broaden the vision a little and say that our job is to build the best camera in the world that allows our customers to take the best photographs. After all, that is what we should never forget: at the end of the day, it’s all about taking photography further. That’s what we aspire to today, just as we did 60 years ago.
Alberto Peroli Equipped with a H3DII-31 from Hasselblad and a lot of idealism, Italian photographer, Alberto Peroli, traveled to Bangladesh in October, 2009, on assignment for the Smile project, where he captured images of everyday life in slums, schools and hospitals. His pictures speak of the life and suffering of needy children and committed benefactors – direct, intuitive and close up.
Just 23 years old, Bahadur picks up his seven year-old daughter Sabina from school. The slum school, that is also supported by the “Smile” project, is located in a hut right next to the train tracks
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Left: clockwise (from the top): A boy waits for his burnt leg to be treated; meals at a hospital in Khulna. Traditionally, everyone sits on the ground; collective waiting in front of the hospital in Khulna. Patients come from all over the country, even from India
Right: Happy children at an orphanage that is one of Father Ricardo’s projects (above). The children do not have physical but rather psychological problems, as they come from broken families; young women slaughter a chicken in front of the kitchen (below)
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Sume, a girl with burns on her legs, colors a picture Peroli brought. It was made by Carlo Stanga, a graphic designer friend of Peroli’s. Many children in Bangladesh suffer from burns caused by the hot oil used in the open woks
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Left: A boy with harelip and cleft palate, who can not talk or eat properly. A surgeon marks the places to be operated on (above); a newly operated boy, a day or two after the intervention. After a week, the children can just begin to eat thin soup (below)
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Right: Clockwise (from the top): Snapshot in a Khulna hospital. The boy has burns on his body; an operation in Khulna, during which Peroli also had to wear sterile clothing; two of the Italian doctors, Dr. Alberto Bozzetti (left) and Dr. Andrea di Francesco
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Despite her difficult childhood – Sabina’s father is a heroin addict and her mother a prostitute – Peroli was touched by the girl’s positiveness. In this particular moment, Father Ricardo is explaining to her why it is important that she go to school regularly
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Left: Father Ricardo surrounded by pupils at the slum school. Peroli took the picture from the train tracks (above); children in a village near Khulna, breaking up bricks for cement production. They must work hard in 35°C temperatures and 90% humidity
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Right: clockwise (from the top): About 100 children live in Tokai House, an orphanage in Khulna. Peroli brought blowing bubbles; the boy with the burnt legs hangs on the photographer’s arm; a stand selling bamboo juice, taken from a moving car
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Portfolio Alberto Peroli
In the end, people just want to be satisfied, happy and, above all, able to laugh; but it’s not always easy. This is clear in the pictures taken by Italian photographer, Albert Peroli, on assignment in Bangladesh for the Smile project (Progetto Sorriso nel Mondo – ONLUS) launched by a group of Italian doctors. Created in 1997, the international team is dedicated to the treatment and cure of craniofacial deformities in developing countries, surgically correcting disfigured face, lip, or nose plunges or other facial malformations, and healing burns. These kind of problems touch an average of one in every thousand children, often turning them, and their mothers, into outcasts. Poor nations, as is Bangladesh, lack the skills and resources to treat them adequately. The doctors and surgeons involved in the project are volunteers and operate on the affected children for free. From 1997 to 2008, the Smile project has performed over 2.500 surgical operations – mainly children. Three missions are carried out every year in Bangladesh, as well as one in Africa (Congo and Burundi) and one in Guatemala. Born in 1978 in Bra/Cuneo, Italy, Peroli first came into contact with the project in 2002, through his teacher, the music critic and photographer Guido Harari. After seven years working as Harari’s assistant in the superficial and sterile world of beauty advertising and fashion, the Smile project seemed like a welcome contrast. Peroli makes it sound like it’s all about a search for meaning: moving away from superficiality into the depth of humanity. “I liked the idea of pursuing a real project.” A year later he decided to become a professional free-lance photographer. Since then, Peroli has traveled to Bangladesh three times at his own expense. The pictures shown here are from his last visit in October, 2009.
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A boy from Tokai House is occupied coloring an illustration by Carlo Stanga (above); a young woman from a safe house, who earns her living doing embroidery (below)
View of a slum in Dhaka divided by a train track. Right in the middle of the settlement, marking the center of the picture, is Father Ricardo’s slum school (right)
With a straightforward attitude, and the precision of an H3D-II 31 and an 80mm lens, Peroli set about documenting the doctors’ work. “Before starting to shoot, I want to talk with the people who are part of the project, and see the places. It’s only afterward that I go around with my camera day and night. I prepare by thinking about the project – the who, where, when and why – finding out as much information as possible about what I plan to photograph,” Peroli says, explaining his approach. Father Ricardo, an Xaverian missionary involved with the project, also plays an important role. Dressed in civilian clothes, the priest has lived in Dhaka for more than 20 years, looking after schools, orphanages and women’s safe houses. Peroli – a trained graphic designer – has a direct style and appreciates the camera’s possibilities. “Just a bit of color or brightness calibration, but no post-production with the Hasselblad. To me, the most important thing is the picture itself.” He also prefers natural light over artificial. However, because the midday sun throws dark shadows on the faces, Peroli did use a flash when appropriate. Accompanied by Father Ricardo for translation, Peroli traveled to Dhaka and Khulna, capturing situations where doctors and patients come together, but also touching scenes of everyday life. “I found the locations by following my intuition, by asking people, by following the light”, Peroli says. “My visual approach evolves primarily through contact with the people, the light, and the feelings and vibrations conveyed by the light and the people.” It will very surely not be the last time Alberto Peroli impresses us with such touching images. carla susanne erdmann
www.progettosorrisonelmondo.org
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High
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the Top photographers
They have made it to the very top – the world’s best contemporary photographers! Creative, international advertising agencies present their five favorites for VICTOR.
McCann Erickson: esther haase
“Esther Haase has an unmistakeable style, fashionable and lively. This makes her predestined for fashion campaigns calling for joie de vivre, where her understanding of styling and make-up also comes in good stead. Her photographs of women capture and focus on their uniqueness, regardless of their age. Models feel comfortable with Esther and love working with her.” Marion Walter, Freelance Art Buying, McCann Erickson, Hamburg among others Ester Haase: Born in Bremen/Germany in 1966; 1988–1993 studied at the High School for Fine Arts, Bremen; freelance photographer since 1993. Campaigns include: Berliner Kindl 2007 for Dorland/Berlin, Esprit 2008 for TBWA/Düsseldorf. www.mccann.de, www.estherhaase.de
Walker: uwe düttmann “What makes Uwe Düttmann’s style unusual is that it is quite undefinable. In spite of his many years in the métier, he’s in a constant state of evolution. His insightful attitude helps him find the best realization for each assignment. I’ve worked with him on various occasions and he’s a very friendly person. As, to a certain degree, photographers have to be good psychologists, Uwe Düttmann has a degree in psychology.” Pius Walker, Creative Director, Walker, Zürich Uwe Düttmann: born in Essen/Germany; freelance photographer since 1986. Campaigns include: Nivea 2008 for TBWA/Hamburg, Mercedes E-Klasse 2008 for Jung von Matt/Hamburg. Awards include: 2007 ADC Photographer of the Year. www.walker.ag, www.duettmannphoto.com
ddb: dwight eschliman “What makes Dwight and his work unique is his endless striving for form and order. His meticulous arrangements of apparently mundane objects result in beautiful works of art. Dwight is a tortured perfectionist. He creates situations in which every burst of light and every reflection sits perfectly. Thanks to his great artistry, energy, enthusiasm and relaxed manner, it's a real pleasure to work with him.” Dustin Smith, Creative Director, DDB, San Francisco Dwight Eschliman: Born in Grand Junction/USA in 1972; 1998 graduated from the Art College, San Francisco; freelance photographer since 1998. Campaigns include: Absolut Vodka 2005 for Chiat/NY, Motorola 2007 for Cutwater/San Francisco. www.ddb.com, www.eschlimanphoto.com
Shackleton: eugenio recuenco „I’m impressed by Eugenio’s ability to create new worlds. Eugenio manages to transform reality into something original. His creative approach is so different that you can spend ages just looking at his pictures. We used him for the presentation of a new perfume by Loewe. Working with him was like playing football with Zidane – you’re excited, but at the same time you feel insignificant.” Pablo González de la Peña, Creative Director, Shackleton, Madrid
Esther Haase: Esprit, 2008, for TBWA/Düsseldorf
Eugenio Recuenco: Born in Madrid/Spanien in 1968; 1988–1992 studied art; freelance photographer since 1997. Campaigns include: Cutty Sark 2007 for Arnold Fuel/Madrid, Lavazza 2006 for Armando Testa/Milan. Awards include: Cannes Lion 2005, ABC National Prize for Photography 2005. www.shackletongroup.com, www.eugeniorecuenco.com
Duval Guillaume: vincent fournier “Vincent Fournier’s specializes in outdoor images: his pictures breathe life. He understands how to take things that, at a first glance, might appear harmless or banal, and refine them till they really move the viewer. He’s easy-going to work with, but he knows exactly what he wants, and can be very demanding of himself and his colleagues to achieve his aims.” Elly Laureys, Art Buyer, Duval Guillaume, Brüssel Vincent Fournier: Born Ouagadougou/Burkina Faso in 1970; studied audiovisual art in Montpellier 1991–1994; 1994–1997 École National de Photographie in Arles. Campaigns include: TGV 2007 for Duval Guillaume, the Belgian Olympic Committee 2008 for Duval Guillaume, TGV 2007 for TBWA. www.duvalguillaume.com, www.vincentfournier.co.uk Uwe Düttmann: Nike Olympia campaign, 2008, for Wieden & Kenney/Shanghai
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Dwight Eschliman: Mass Mutual campaign, 2005 for Lowe Worldwide/New York
Eugenio Recuenco: Loewe campaign, 2007, for Shackleton/Madrid
Vincent Fournier: TGV campaign, 2006, for Duval Guillaume/Brussels
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impossible is nothing The eagerly anticipated 29th Olympic Games are set to begin on 8 August 2008. By then, Mark Zibert’s iconic photographs for the Adidas advertising campaign will envelop entire tower blocks in China’s capital city, Peking. The results – after three months on location with his team – are a testimony to cutting-edge photography and logistics. VICTOR was granted a glimpse into the making of. PHotos: Mark Zibert
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Photographer Mark Zibert and his team put in a tre mendous amount of effort to erect the human tower upon which stands Olym pic diving gold medallist, Hu Jia (previous page). The stand also supports the hoop for basketball player Sui Feifei (left): 50 extras climbed the smooth scaf folding, feet on shoulders. During the shoot it was crucial that the steel tubes didn’t show. Only the myr iad arms, backs and heads were to be seen. Then, to prevent the entire con struction from collapsing – the scaffolding was given additional support by fill ing the center with people
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The crowd stands as one impenetrable block behind the three Chinese volley ball stars, Yang Yi, Xue Min and Yang Hao. “The idea was to see the Olympic Games as a stage, trans forming the country of China into one, massive sporting nation where each individual is a part of the Games and inspired by the sport,” explains Elvis Chau, creative director at 180/ TBWA, Shanghai. “The first step is to build the nation so that they can support the athletes during the com petition. We believe that when 1.3 billion people come together, nothing is impossible.”
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The extras reach for soccer players Zheng Zhi (this double page) and Maioxu Xu (next double page) as though wanting to carry them to the opponent’s goal. Mark Zibert and team went through great ordeals to create the illu sion as though some of the extras were actually touch ing Zheng Zhi, captain of China’s national team and Chinese player of the year 2006. Mark really enjoyed working with the popular Chinese players. They gave absolutely everything dur ing the photo shoot, striking new dynamic poses again and again
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impossible is nothing Three hundred Chinese men and women crowd together on the lawn of a soccer stadium. They reach for the sky, cheering loudly. What’s happening here? Mark Zibert is at work. The Canadian photographer hovers high above the yellow plastic seats of the stadium. From a raised ramp he focuses his H3D-39 on the sheer masses below him, and exposes. Take 1 – stored to chip! Then, using a megaphone, the many extras are directed to the next position on the pitch, before being again asked to lift their arms and shout as loud as they can. In three hours, Mark will have repeated the same basic scene on different parts of the grass and thus created the background layer of one of his emerging photo concepts. The finished picture will show an ocean of people – a nod to some 1.3 billion Chinese – culminating in a human tower upon which stands perched Chinese Olympic gold medallist, Hu Jia, wearing only a swimming suit with the three white stripes and Adidas logo, as he prepares for the imminent dive. “The basic idea of the campaign is to show how thousands of people can come together to support a common goal,” explains Zibert. The young photographer was asked to direct a team of thirty (models not included) in the production of the “Together in 2008, Impossible is Nothing” Olympic Games campaign commissioned by Adidas. To Mark Zibert and the advertising agency put in charge, 180/TBWA of Shanghai, it was clear from the start that they would be creating new images of crowds as opposed to drawing from the photographic archives. For the project to work, the crowd would not only have to cheer in the right way but, also, match the lighting of the iconic athlete portrayed in the foreground. Zibert’s creative input and enthusiasm was immediately apparent during initial phone conversations, when he was but an option in a sizeable shortlist. “In retrospect,” remembers Elvis Chau, creative director, “it’s why we chose to work with him. His passion for the project was important to me. He loved the concept from the word go. Plus, he met all the specs. He’s a sports photographer with a scrupulous eye for
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detail, and he retouches his work himself. Mark was simply the best man for the job.” It’s much cheaper to run a production in China than in North America or Europe – especially given the sheer size and ambition of the endeavour. All 300 extras were booked within the budget of an advertising campaign for magazine print, Mark Zibert reported. “Before a single photograph was taken we spent four full days running around in the stadium, establishing angles, marking the ground and setting up the light,” Mark explains. “Instead of duplicating every shot in Photoshop we wanted the crowd to cheer in one position, move on to the next for more cheering and so on. It’s an approach that puts a tremendous strain on the grass, and so it wasn’t easy finding a suitable stadium. Eventually we found what we were looking for in a Peking stadium that will serve as a training ground during the Olympic Games.” The two-day photo shoot took place in the heat of day and was not only strenuous for the ground but also the extras. On day two, some of the 300 extras were so tired they were ready to bail out. Scattered across different parts of the stadium, the team had to seek them out one by one and politely ask them back to the pitch. However, once all the background pictures were finally in the can and the individual layers blended together seamlessly, the team was thrilled. The first important milestone had been reached – what a perfect occasion to party with lots of karaoke. This was Mark Zibert’s first photo shoot in China. Prior to that, he had travelled the country but never actually worked there. The Adidas campaign had the 31-yearold camped out in Peking for three months. He was impressed by the positive working atmosphere and ease of production. Chinese athletes – the prime subjects of each shot – were extremely professional and cooperative. Each athlete committed no more than half an hour to the photo shoot, but Mark Zibert – an expert sports and portrait photographer – was sure to get the most out of the tiny window he was granted. His experience helped him capture the Chinese Olympians in their most expressive moments. And the athletes contributed with all their physical power and creative input – “particularly the soccer players,” Mark Zibert recalls with admiration.
When the time came to mount the athletes in the optical center of the crowd, the creative team was quick to discover a need to modify the original plan. “Whilst photographing the crowd, we simply imagined in our minds’ eye where the athletes would be placed. Then we photographed the athletes depending on the stadium lighting,” Zibert explains. “When we added the athletes on top of the background, though, we found that the supporting hands didn’t interact with the athletes in the way we’d hoped for.” In the original design, the assumption was that at least some of the hands would be near enough the athlete; all it would require were some retouching and everything would fall into place. Alas, the idea blew up – not realistic enough. And so the team changed plan. Once the final picture of each athlete had been selected, a stuntman was ordered into the studio and suspended in a harness. He would imitate the pose and several actors would support him in the desired manner. These few actors were then layered into the crowd in the optical center of the image. Now, the athlete really looked as though he were being carried by the crowd. Each campaign image was pieced together from a number of photos and graphic layers. Fortunately, Zibert and his Canadian assistants were sure to station themselves in Peking for the duration of the project. When most of the material had been shot, Mark and digital assistant Andy Ferreira traveled to Shanghai to work on the digital post production. “Because the assignment was so gigantic it was important to me that Andy and I took care of the pixel processing ourselves. The amount of raw material was vast; and having a third party choose and communicate the work would have taken far longer than simply dealing with it ourselves,” Mark Zibert explains. In the end, it proved to be the right decision. “I am very, very pleased with what they’ve achieved. Whenever I show the pictures, the first response I get is ‘wow!’,” Elvis Chau remarks. Now, imagine the effect when these, the very largest prints ever produced by Adidas will be mounted for display in Peking. Some of them will measure 55 yards in width and veil entire facades of skyscrapers. Who said that size doesn’t matter? SUSANNE SCHMITT
Mark Zibert Canadian photographer Mark Zibert was born in Toronto in 1977. After attending Sheri dan College he went on to work as a photo assistant between 1998 and 1999. Since 2000, he keeps himself busy as a freelance photographer. Mark Zibert worked on his first large-scale advertising campaign for Nike at the ten der age of 23. His clients also include Adidas, Timberland, Brita, Arrow, Sims, Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, Nokia, Stella Artois and Pepsi. Mark Zibert’s photography has been pub lished in “Life”, “GQ”/Italy, “Sir”, “Entertainment Weekly”. He’s received numerous awards, such as the Communication Arts 2001–2006, the Silver National Magazine Award 2005, the Archive Magazine Top 200 Photographers 2006, ADCC 2002–2005 and the bronze Lion in Cannes 2005.
Agency:180/TBWA, China; creative directors: Yang Yeo, Elvis Chau, Lesley Zhou, John Merrifield, Sarawut Hengsawad; copywriters: Lesley Zhou, Sarawut Hengsawad, Nicky Zhang, Michelle Wu; producer: Peter Dell’Agnes; line producer/agent: Johnny Leijonhufvud; agency producer: Linda Tan; executive producer/agent: Lesley Chelvan; agent: Ping Lim; assistant stills director: Roman Bin; photo assistants: Chris Mably, Andy Ferreira; retouchers: Mark Zibert, Andy Ferreira; digital operator: Andrew Easson
www.markzibert.com
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Hasselblad Masters 2007
Peter Mathis
Born in Hohenems/Austria, in 1961 | freelance photographer since 1986 | published in the ‘Bell Europe’, ‘Climbing’/USA, ‘Snowstyle’/Japan, and ‘Stern’, among others | Advertisements for Black Diamond, Helly Hansen, Quicksilver, Red Bull, Völkl, among others | Exhibitions: “Mountain photography now and always” in the Gera Art Museum/Germany | Prizes: Crystal Award 2000, Banff Mountain Photography Competition 2005, among others.
Cycle racing in Hohenems/Austria in August 2006 (above right); Alex Luger at the “Löwenzahn” alpine climbing garden in Austria (Black Diamond 2006, above)
www.mathis-photographs.com www.hasselblad.com
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The Beginning. When I used to go climbing, I’d discover beautiful places in the mountains where there was an unusual atmosphere. And I’d say to myself, you really should capture this somehow; so when I was 18 years old I bought my first viewfinder camera. A short while later I exchanged it for my first SLR. The heroes. From the very first moment I saw Ansel Adams’s largeformat, black&white photographs, I was fascinated by the wealth of detail and the fantastic light-plays in his pictures. The hobby horse. Landscape photography was always one of my passions; that’s why, a few times a year, I take my H2D-22, a tripod, a sleeping bag and mat, and plenty of supplies, and go on a hiking trip. I find myself a photogenic mountaintop and start climbing in the early afternoon. Hours later I reach the peak and, while enjoying a good meal, wait for the last light of the day. It’s a wonderful feeling to sit alone on a forsaken mountaintop, watching night descend and anticipating the dawning of a new day when, once again, great lighting heralds the approaching sunrise. The excitement. Because my roots are in mountain sports, I don’t feel a hundred percent at ease on the water. So, I could say that my most exciting photo shoot took place high above a sailing ship. I was hanging at 25 meters with only a rope securing me to the mast. The ship was ploughing through the water, when a speed boat crossed our bow with just a few
meters to spare. I tried to capture both the speed boat and a part of our boat on the film. The philosophy. It is the “in” thing at the moment to promote the idea that one has to have a completely new photographic style, something that’s never been seen before. I refuse to have anything to do with such an idea – it’s about as impossible as reinventing the wheel. In my private life I try to live in the present: in the here and now. I make an effort to do the things I like to do now, not later – much less wait till I’m retired. The treasure. My most important publication was the book “Freeride” – a collection of the best ski and snowboarding pictures I’ve taken over the past few years. We self-pub lished the book, which meant that we were able to choose everything ourselves: paper, cover and graphics. The Hasselblad. I work with the H2 with 22 megapixel CFH digital back, using wide angle, normal and telephoto lenses. The quick shutter speed is particularly advantageous when using a flash. What is more, I’m continuously amazed by its faithful reproduction of detail. Peter Mathis is a Hasselblad Master because his pictures manage to fully capture his fascination for sports, action and the big “world out there”. The images breathe the cold, sweat in the heat, and reach up to the heights where they were taken. Decisive moments of peak human performance are always to be found right there in his pictures. Black Diamond campaign (2006, very top); Vorarlberg tourism (2007, above); Skinfit sportswear (2006, left)
Peter Mathis took this shot in August 2006 for the administration of the city of Hohenems/Austria. It shows a Rhine Valley panorama, taken from the Gebhardsberg
ONLINE 1/2010
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Next victor online: 1 february 2010 Be surprised by inspiring portfolios, keep up-to-date with the most significant photographic trends and read leading news for the photography community. On February 1st, 2010, check your monitor for the next issue of VICTOR online.
rodney hobbs >> the Australian wedding photographer masters the sensitive touch perfectly
hans schlupp >> captures the wealth of rich detail at the LAN club in Beijing
Imprint
stuart weston >> it is the coloring that makes his images so unmistakeable Items and topics in the next issue of VICTOR online may be changed or postponed due to editorial or other reasons.
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