online 04.2011
editorial
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It has been almost three years since we launched the first version of Phocus and, with the release of the latest applications - Phocus 2.6, Phocus Quick and Phocus Mobile - it’s exciting to see how this powerful software has grown from a single application for Mac users only to a versatile family of products for different platforms and purposes. With the third anniversary of Phocus quickly approaching, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the software’s history. Phocus 1.0’s origins date back to the late part of 2005 when Hasselblad’s R&D department started the development of Phocus. It began as kind of a “garage project” designed to benefit from advanced technologies like Core Image and DirectX, which utilize the extra computational power from the graphics card, to provide real time and pixel accurate viewer updates when adjusting images. When Phocus was released in May 2008, thanks to this technology, it exceeded the capabilities of many imaging applications on the market. As good as Phocus 1.0 was, we wanted to keep moving forward to make the software faster and more powerful. With each update, we have continued to raise the bar by adding new functionality and further optimizing our code while, at the same time, making the software easier to use. One of the most compelling updates since Phocus’ inception has certainly been the introduction of support for RAW formats from more than 150 digital cameras and camera backs. Since most high-end shooters use more than one type of camera but prefer to work with a single software application for all their files, we wanted to ensure that they could depend as much as possible on Phocus. But we also wanted to open up and show Phocus’ power and ease-of-use to photographers that today don’t shoot with a Hasselblad. The addition of third party file support was in fact so well received that the number of Phocus users doubled since the release of Phocus 2.5! And that brings us to the latest Phocus news. In addition to a major update of Phocus to version 2.6, we have introduced two new standalone applications, Phocus Quick and Phocus Mobile. Designed to meet the fluctuating workflow needs of photographers these three innovative products are now available for download. Check out this issue’s News page for details. Once you explore the features and benefits, we think you’ll want to add all three to your software tool kit. Also, be sure to explore the beautiful images in this issue of VICTOR including the stunning food and architecture photography of Nicolas Buisson, as well as the HOC winner David Orr’s amazing Libris series. Rounding out this month’s photo selections are Hasselblad Master Dirk Rees’ dark and mysterious images. In closing, we at Hasselblad extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Japan and our colleagues in the photo industry who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami. We wish them a swift and full recovery.
Nicolas Buisson used his H3DII-39 to present stunning images of Chef Yannick Alléno’s culinary creations at the STAY restaurant in Dubai.
4 >> News New Phocus Family of products: Phocus 2.6 with exciting new features and standalone applications, Phocus Quick and Phocus Mobile are available for free-of-charge download. Hasselblad Owners' Club: The latest Photo of the Month has been chosen.
6 >> Nicolas Buisson French photographer Nicolas Buisson takes a unique perspective when photographing elegant plates of food. But his work also encompasses the luxurious ambience and setting in which these sophisticated dishes are served.
22 >> David Orr Users of the Hasselblad Owners' Club have chosen an image by visual artist and director David Orr as Photo of the Month. At VICTOR online he introduces some of the striking images from his LIBRIS series in which he creates a unique vision of the book form.
26 >> Dirk Rees The kinetic energy of bodies in motion is captured in mid-air and imbued with a cinematic feel in Hasselblad Master Dirk Rees’ “Emotion” images. To create this intriguing narrative, Rees drew inspiration from his fascination with movement and with old movies.
44 >> preview Whether using graphic colors or stark black and white, Londonbased photographer Dimitris Theocharis’ fashion images are visually striking. His images have graced the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Schön magazine.
Yours, Lars Elmo, Product Manager Hasselblad A/S
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victornEWS ready for download
Phocus Family released In order to flourish in this industry, photographers need to be flexible to meet client demands and deadlines. To help photographers keep pace with changing workflow needs, Hasselblad has added new features and functionality to Phocus and developed two standalone applications that will become an integral part of every Phocus user’s toolkit. Available for Mac and Windows, Phocus 2.6, the latest update to Hasselblad’s powerful software solution, now offers a number of new tools and features to help you move your images from camera-to-client more efficiently. With the new Dust Removal Tool, pesky dust spots are swiftly banished. The tool can be used on single images or to remove dust spots from a group of images in conjunction with the Modify tool. A Star Rating and Filtering system has been added to complement Phocus’ already-existing numerical and color-coded rating options so you can quickly rank and sort your selects. For even more flexibility, 0-5 stars can be attached to images in any view mode.
Two new standalone software applications, Phocus Quick and Phocus Mobile (above), are designed to meet the ever-changing needs of today's photographers. Workflow consistency across Phocus workstations is seamless with version 2.6’s ability to import and export image adjustments as well as keywords, layouts and other commonly used settings and data. Multi-shot viewer speed has been increased and lower resolution quality has been improved. And,
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good news for Windows users like the Mac version, Phocus 2.6 now supports third-party TIFF and JPEG files on the Windows platform. V lens users will be happy to note Phocus 2.6’s new Combined H and V lens Tool. Thanks to the tool’s added functionality, a separate tool is no longer needed for V lens corrections. In addition, Phocus 2.6 also provides Extended Info in Compare Mode. With so many important updates and additions, updating to Phocus 2.6 is a must.
Perfect for extremely time-sensitive assignments, Phocus Quick is a standalone, cross-platform application that provides a semi-automated solution for importing and processing RAW files. Using Phocus 2.6’s core strengths, you can trust Phocus Quick to help make basic adjustments, including lens correction, when the clock is ticking. RAW and JPEG backup copies are automatically created so you can go back in and work your magic on images after that critical first-look deadline has passed.
Mobile devices play an increasingly important role in everyone’s daily lives, of course, but photographers have special needs. In response to those needs, Hasselblad has developed Phocus Mobile, an app that makes it possible to use your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch as remote controls for tethered shooting and as virtual displays. All you need is a wireless connection, a compatible handheld device, a Mac running Phocus 2.6 and Phocus Mobile to remotely trigger a tethered Hasselblad digital camera. But Phocus Mobile goes beyond just triggering the shutter. You also have access to all critical capture settings such as exposure mode, f/stop, shutter speed, ISO, and metering mode. This extended functionality makes Phocus Mobile ideal for situations where your camera is set up in a difficult-to-access position or when interacting with models on set requires mobility. Phocus Mobile also provides the convenience of remote viewing, browsing, zooming and rating of images. Clients, art directors, assis-
HOC
Hasselblad Owners’ Club 4/2011
Hasselblad users all over the world exchange news on the Hasselblad Owners’ Club (HOC) site. At the end of March, registered users chose a new Photo of the Month, taken by Andrew Ryan. With this picture, the US based portrait photographer prevailed over the strong competition. We will fully introduce him in the May issue of VICTOR online. ■
tants and other team members with Phocus Mobile-equipped electronic devices can comfortably look at the images without crowding around a single computer. They don’t even have to be on location to review the shots. Phocus Mobile is a win-win application for everyone involved and might just give you a little bit of an edge over the competition when the next job comes up for bid. Phocus Mobile is available now free of charge from the Apple App Store. Phocus 2.6 and Phocus Quick can be downloaded free of charge at ■ www.hasselblad.com Phocus 2.6 has been made even more powerful with new features such as a Dust Removal Tool, Star Rating and the ability to import/ export image adjustments.
©C orey
Rich
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Nicolas Buisson Combining his architectural and food photography skills, French photographer Nicolas Buisson used an H3DII-39 to capture images to show the world the delicious culinary experience that awaits them at Chef Yannick AllÊno’s new restaurants at the luxurious One & Only The Palm Resort in Dubai.
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Rather than use a stylist, Buisson prefers to photograph dishes, such as the roasted veal chop with gratin of truffled macaroni (left) and asparagus on Comté (right), as they are presented to guests since, he explains, “They are already creations of the chef, to my opinion.”
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A combined background in architecture and still life photography gave Buisson the eye and the techniques to produce beautiful images of the dining areas and surrounding property as well as the food.
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When Chef Yannick Alléno asked Buisson to come up with a shooting concept Buisson suggested shooting straight down, with an “architectural” feel. The Chef loved his approach and Buisson has been photographing Alléno’s restaurants for the past 3 years. Some of the dishes that Buisson has photographed include a lobster tart (left) and egg casserole with mushrooms and garlic bread (right).
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A long exposure allowed Buisson to capture this stunning night shot of the luxurious One & Only The Palm resort, juxtaposing the still of the swimming pool’s water with the evening’s cool breezes gently ruffling the branches of the palm trees.
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To capture these elegant food images – Terrine of foie gras, jelly of passion-coffee, melba gingerbread (left) and fragola sea urchin with gold leaf (right), Buisson mounted his tethered H3DII-39 to a transformer stand and adjusted settings through Phocus.
Buisson beautifully captured the gorgeous light falling on the marble in the entrance to the STAY restaurant (left). One of Buisson’s favorite spots of the hotel, this image (right) shows the early morning calm of the pool area where guests relax throughout the day.
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Portfolio Nicolas Buisson
Working with Chef Alléno has allowed Buisson to combine his passion for food with his passion for photography – and the extra benefit of tasting all the dishes he photographs, including this carpaccio of Yellowtail with ponzu sauce.
French still life photographer Nicolas Buisson was 15 when he was first inspired to make pictures. Staying with an American family while on holiday in San Francisco, Buisson met Herb Ritts and thought, “I wish I had his life.” That was as good a reason as any since it motivated Buisson to start shooting anything and everything – friends, cars, dried flowers. After receiving his baccalaureate, Buisson studied architecture for a year before deciding that he did, indeed, want to be a photographer. After several years of study and assisting, Buisson began to concentrate on still life photography. Buisson always loved to cook but, he said, “I never connected my passion for food to my passion for my job.” Then three years ago he met renowned Chef Yannick Alléno and Buisson quickly made the transition to food photographer. At the time, however, Buisson had no experience photographing food. Although admittedly a “little embarrassed” he quickly shot some food the day before his meeting with the Chef. Using the same techniques and style he applied to shooting jewelry and perfumes, Buisson’s last minute efforts paid off. Alléno loved Buisson’s straightforward approach, especially compared to other food photography. As a result, says Buisson, “We did a few tests, became
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friends and made our first book: The Tapas Cookbook.” When Alléno opens new restaurants, he calls on Buisson. Most recently, Buisson photographed Alléno’s latest trio of restaurants at the One & Only The Palm Resort in Dubai. With his background in architecture, as well as his still life experience, Buisson is perfectly equipped to shoot the food, the restaurants and the surrounding property. “That’s important,” explains Buisson, “because when you go to a 3 star restaurant, you’re not only looking at what you eat. The ambience, the lights, the design of the restaurant and the materials used are all really important, too.”
And Alléno benefited by having one photographer shoot all of the necessary images.” In addition to the technical skills required for food photography, speed is also critical. If a dish sits too long, the food loses its freshness; texture and color can change, ruining the shot. Buisson credits his experience assisting fashion photographers with learning how to work fast. “Fashion influenced me in the sense that you need to respond immediately,” says Buisson. Similarly, he adds, “In food photography, you have to act fast and be accurate at the same time. You have to know exactly where you're going.” For the Dubai shoot, Buisson did not work with a stylist because “We decided to have a naked-neutral approach so the style is the dishes themselves ...no stylish decoration, no story, just an architectural view of food.” Buisson was “sick of pictures that have little depth-of-field and blurry backgrounds. In architecture photography, you want everything straight and in focus.” When Alléno asked him to develop a concept for all his culinary creations, Buisson suggested shooting straight down. To achieve this perspective, Buisson – a Hasselblad user since he was 17 – positioned his tethered H3DII-39 and 100mm lens on a transformer stand and used Phocus to adjust his settings. Once everything is set up, says Buisson, “I don’t touch the camera anymore.” For interiors, Buisson usually uses a 35mm or 28mm with the HTS tilt-shift adapter. Buisson is currently working on a number of different magazines, cookbook and advertising projects and happily shooting with his new H4D-50MS. One more thing. In case you’re wondering, yes; Buisson did get to sample all the food that he photographed. ■ www.nbuisson.com For his architectural shots, Buisson used his H3DII-39 and either a 35mm or 28mm lens with the HTS tilt-shift adapter.
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Hasselblad Owners’ Club 3/2011
David Orr Members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have chosen a picture by David Orr as Photo of the Month. Introducing the American Visual Artist and his aesthetic world
As an introduction to his work, visual artist and director David Orr tells us that “It has been said many times that ‘books can take you places’. In the LIBRI series, my intent has been to create places (spaces) out of books.” The winning image (next page top left), a photograph of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is a perfect example of the synergy Orr creates between the book and its new form. “This book has been a source of hope for many in hopeless situations,” explains Orr, “The form I chose for ‘The Prophet’ is one that suggests refuge, depth, and a formal strength.” Likewise, his form for ‘The Prophet II’ (page 25) also takes “an architectural shape of strength while sharing the stylized form of a flame.” While Orr has been using digital cameras in his work as a director since 1995, he began shooting fine art in earnest about 9 years ago. Owning a classic Hasselblad had been his dream since he was 19 years old and in 2007, he purchased the anniversary 503CWD kit, which he uses for all his fine art work. Since the LIBRI images require exceptionally shallow depth-offield, often focusing on the edge of a page, Orr uses a 135mm F/5.6 C S macro lens with bellows. He then recombines the images in Photoshop to create the amazing images you see here. However, he points out, “The basics come from solid photographic technique. It’s important that I create and shape the initial images organically in-camera.” If it makes sense as a single image, “it will hold up when composited into the final shape.” Vita: Born in Manhattan, NY in 1962. Most important fine art accomplishment to date was the purchase of his work into the Capital Group public collection alongside Ansel Adams, David Hockney and Edward Weston. www.david-orr.com www.hasselblad.com
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Hasselblad Master portfolio
Fashion
dirk rees Guided by the theme “Emotion,” commercial photographer Dirk Rees created a series of skillfully lit images for the Hasselblad Masters Book Vol. 2. Drawing on his diverse background in the production industry, as well as fashion and advertising photography, this visual narrative has a decidedly cinematic look and feel. Rees developed his unique lighting style based on skills he acquired while assisting a fashion photographer earlier in his career but also gets inspiration from many sources, including films. Given the quality of lighting, it’s no surprise when he says, “I’ve always been fascinated by old movies.” Enthralled by “anything that’s moving,” Rees’ main focus is on “the body in motion ... and stopping a single moment in time” so he wanted to produce a fashion shoot based on “movement, body shapes and high emotion.” He opted to use professional models rather than dancers because of the shoot’s fashion element. Although Rees’ photographs look effortless, producing these images required extensive logistics and attention to detail. “I don’t do anything halfway,” Rees admits, adding that as the concept for the shoot developed, the number of people required to execute his ideas grew. The dim lighting that is part of his cinematic aesthetic, the pyrotechnics, smoke and rapid action of the models kinetic movements all created challenges for Rees. But even with these extreme conditions, Rees skillfully captured a set of images with the mood and movement he envisioned. Shooting with the H4D-40, Rees appreciated the added file sizes and commented that “the amount of detail captured by these lenses is fantastic. I’ve done a lot of campaigns with the camera and the results have been remarkable.” Rees continues to work on personal projects that inspire him and plans to do more motion video explaining that, “There’s a lot of narrative for a lot of my body-inmotion work, which goes hand-inhand with motion video.” You will find a motion video of this shoot on page 34. www.dirkrees.com www.hasselblad.com
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Please find this movie at www.victorbyhasselblad.com
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Next victor online: 1 May 2011 Be surprised by inspiring portfolios, keep up-to-date with the most significant photographic trends and read leading news for the photography community. On May 1st, 2011, check your monitor for the next issue of VICTOR online.
Dimitris Theocharis >> strikingly beautify and uniquely crafted fashion photography
stephan Zirwes >> distinctively different graphic images
>> Discover the aesthetic world of the photographer who took the Hasselblad Owners’ Club photo of the month: Andrew Ryan
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Hasselblad Owners’ Club 4/2011
Items and topics in the next issue of VICTOR online may be changed or post-poned due to editorial or other reasons.
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Imprint VICTOR online | 4/2011 www.victorbyhasselblad.com info@victorbyhasselblad.com Publisher: Stephan Bittner Publishing House /Advertising: Center of Service GmbH Hammerbrookstr. 93 20097 Hamburg, Germany Tel.: + 49.40.25 40 48-69 (Fax: - 40) E-mail: info@centerofservice.com
Project Management: Christine Heinrichs heinrichs@centerofservice.com
All articles and illustrations contained in the online magazine are subject to the laws of copyright. Any form of utilisation beyond the narrow limits imposed by the laws of copyright and without the expressed permission of the publisher is forbidden and will be prosecuted. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited material and this will only be returned if appropriate postage is included. Hasselblad is a registered trademark of Victor Hasselblad A/S, Denmark. Place of jurisdiction and execution: Hamburg, Germany
Introducing the Phocus Family: Phocus 2.6, Phocus Quick and Phocus Mobile.
Phocus 2.6 Phocus 2.6 is Hasselblad’s powerful, easy-to-use imaging software. Brand new cross-platform features such as the Dust Removal Tool, Star Rating and Filtering, a much faster multishot viewer and improved quality at lower resolution, plus Windows support for TIFF and JPEG files are now part of version 2.6.
Phocus Quick Phocus Quick offers a semi-automated solution to import and process your raw files using the core strengths of the full version of Phocus. The application imports your images applying basic image adjustments and saves both – a backup raw copy and a jpg of each image. Ready for printing or viewing, and ready for future more advanced imaging enhancements.
Phocus Mobile Phocus Mobile completes the Phocus Family with an imaging app for iPads and iPhones. The app connects wirelessly to a Mac running Phocus 2.6 and allows users to remotely browse, and rate images. With an H4D camera connected, you have full access to tethered shooting, including the unique camera controls offered by the H4D.
For more information on Phocus 2.6, visit the Hasselblad website at: www.hasselblad.com/phocus2-6.
For more information on Phocus Quick, visit the Hasselblad website at: www.hasselblad.com/phocusquick.
For more information on Phocus Mobile, visit the Hasselblad website at: www.hasselblad.com/phocusmobile.
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