Victor by Hasselblad (2012/05) by Hasselblad

online

05.2012

EDITORIAL

CONTENT

Welcome to the May issue of VICTOR! This month I’m excited to announce the latest versions of Phocus – version 2.6.6 for Mac and Phocus Mobile 2.0. The new mobile application offers a host of new features including 100% zoom function for the browser, GPS and a direct link to HTV, among others. Our goal, as always, is to continue to provide photographers with powerful, yet easy to use, software tools. Efficiency and speed are critical components of every photographer’s workflow and I think we’ve done a great job delivering those benefits with Phocus. I’m especially proud of the improvements we’ve made to Phocus Mobile since more and more photographers have added mobile devices to their location and studio kits so they – and their clients – have more options when viewing and sharing images on a shoot. I’m also happy to announce the Masters Awards 2014 call for submissions, which opens on May 1st. Acknowledging that many photographers often use more than one camera system, complementing their medium format work with 35mm cameras, we have opened the competition to image makers who use one or both formats (with a minimum of 16 megapixels for DSLRs). We’ve also added a new category, bringing the total to an even dozen so there are more opportunities available for the photographic community. For more details about Phocus (both desktop and Mobile versions can be downloaded free of charge) and the Masters Competition, please refer to the News page in this issue. May marks one year since the launch of the H4D200MS and it hasn’t taken long for the unique MultiShot camera to gain a foothold in the conservation market. In fact, this month’s portfolio story is a perfect example of how important this technology is to capturing and preserving historic works of art. Paolo de Rocco, co-founder of Centrica, shares how his company uses it in their work. We’ll also catch up with 2002 Masters Award winner Ferit Kuyas this month and see some of his work and are delighted to welcome back wedding photographer Sofie Louca – a two-time Hasselblad Owner’s Club winner. The images in this issue are representative of the diverse talents of Hasselblad shooters from around the world and I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy the latest VICTOR online magazine.

Thanks to Centrica’s technical expertise and meticulous attention to detail, works of art are being digitized and preserved for generations to come.

4 >> NEWS New Phocus Software Launched: Find out more about the latest updates to Phocus 2.6.6 for Mac and Phocus Mobile 2.0 Call for Masters Submissions: Submissions for the 2014 Hasselblad Masters Awards are now being accepted.

6 >> CENTRICA From historic frescoes to da Vinci masterpieces, this Italian firm specializes in the digital capture of culturally significant art to preserve history. Find out more about the challenges faced with each project in our conversation with co-founder Paolo de Rocco.

24 >> SOFIE LOUCA Members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have chosen an image by Cyprus-based wedding photographer Sofie Louca for the winning photograph. We invite you to explore this photographer’s stunning images at VICTOR online.

28 >> FERIT KUYAS Freelance photographer Ferit Kuyas received his Hasselblad Masters Award 10 years ago and continues his work of photographing interiors, cityscapes and environmental portraits around the world.

38 >> PREVIEW Yours, Peter Stig-Nielsen, Director Digital Camera Products

UK-based photographer Monty Rakusen explores the often dangerous, sometimes gritty industrial world to capture striking photographs that clearly reflect his background in graphic design. We’ll find out more about his approach to photography in our next issue of VICTOR online.

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VICTORNEWS

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HASSELBLAD 2014 MASTERS AWARDS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Applications to participate in the Masters Awards 2014 competition are now being accepted, so find your best images and submit them between May 1 and August 31, 2012. The title of Hasselblad Master will be awarded to one photographer in each of 12 categories based on photographic ability in the areas of creativity, composition, concept and technical skill. Hasselblad has made some changes to the program to make it available to more photographers than ever before, regardless of equipment used. “Since many photographers are using both medium format and 35mm-type DSLRs, image entries

may be captured with either format—as well as film,” explains Paul Waterworth, Hasselblad Global Photographer Relations Manager. The only caveat is that DSLR submissions must be captured with a minimum resolution of 16 megapixels. Amateurs, students, assistants and young professionals who are 21 years old or younger are invited to submit images in the new Project//21 category and are exempt from the 3-year minimum professional experience requirement. An underwater photography category has also been added. Three images may be submitted for each category, with no limit on the number of categories entered. Winners will be announced in January 2014 and have the opportunity to shoot with Hasselblad equipment for several months in order to complete a special project to be published in Masters Book Vol.4. The book will be launched at photokina 2014. For details and submission guidelines, go to: www.hasselblad.com/masters

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HASSELBLAD OWNERS’ CLUB 5/2012 HASSELBLAD NEW PHOCUS SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE The updated Phocus 2.6.6 and Phocus Mobile 2.0 software applications are now available for download. With the latest upgrades, the intuitive Phocus software will continue to bring speed and efficiency to photographers' workflow while Phocus Mobile 2.0 adds a number of features to Hasselblad's viewing and sharing app. In conjunction with Phocus 2.6.6, photographers can now use Phocus Mobile 2.0 to connect an unlimited number of wireless devices to the computer, allowing for everyone at a shoot to quickly and conveniently view images as they’re captured. Also new for Phocus Mobile are 100% zoom capabilities for images viewed in the browser, GPS tagging and a Demo Mode. With a direct connection to Hasselblad tv (HTV), Phocus Mobile can also be used to share videos that you’ve uploaded to the HTV site. And if your client wants to learn more about the Hasselblad equipment you’re using, Phocus Mobile 2.0 also provides a link to the digital product catalogue. The latter is also helpful if you’re looking for a new piece of kit, too. To learn more about the powers of Phocus 2.6.6 and to download the software for free, please visit: www.hasselblad.com/promotions/phocus-266. Phocus Mobile 2.0 is also available free of charge at the App store. www. apple.com/apps. ■ www.hasselblad.com

Hasselblad users all over the world exchange news on the Hasselblad Owners’ Club (HOC) site. At the end of April, registered users chose a new Photo of the Month, taken by Jo Fober. With this picture, the Cologne-based photographer prevailed over the strong competition. We will fully introduce him in the June issue of VICTOR online. ■

The updated Phocus 2.6.6 and Phocus Mobile 2.0 software applications are now available for download.

©C orey

Rich

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With Hasselblad’s Multi-Shot technology and Centrica’s proprietary software, Paolo de Rocco was able to accurately capture and stitch the many images required to create a 21000 x 11000 pixel digital photograph of Thomas Patch’s "Veduta di Firenze da Bellosguardo".

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CENTRICA With exacting attention to detail and the latest technology, including Hasselbad’s Multi-Shot cameras and Centrica’s proprietary software, Paolo de Rocco and his team digitally capture, preserve and share some of the world’s most precious works of art.

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This behind the scenes video provides a close-up look of de Rocco and his assistant, Andrea Bini, at work. Click here to see some of the challenges they faced while photographing frescoes.

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The cropped details (above left; page right) of Thomas Patchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil painting show that, by using precise parameters to position the camera for each shot, de Rocco is able to ensure the best area of focus throughout the image.

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An even closer look at the digital capture of Patchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s "Veduta di Firenze da Bellosguardo" is breathtaking in its fine detail of the scene and visible texture of the canvas.

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Each piece of art must be lit differently, depending on factors such as surface texture, size and dimensionality. Here, de Rocco and team perfectly illuminated the panel "Tabernacolo dei Linaioli" by Beato Angelico, tempera on wood.

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With a final image size of 27000 x 44000, it is easy to see the most exquisite details of this panel. In fact, more detail is visible in the image than one would be able to detect when viewing the shrine in person.

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Thanks to a special algorithm developed by Centrica, de Rocco knows exactly where to position the camera, how many shots to take and the amount of overlap required for each section to achieve a perfect final image. Giotto, "Franciscan Saint", Florence, Berenson Collection, reproduced by permission of President and Fellows of Harvard College. ONLINE 5/2012

The many shots required for a single image are so precisely captured and matched that the final piece is seamless, with no indication of where the images were pieced together.

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Three-dimensional objects, such as the Head of a Buddha, require a different approach to lighting but may need fewer image captures than a large painting to create a final image. Compared to other works of art shown here, the image file for the Head of a Buddha is relatively â&#x20AC;&#x153;smallâ&#x20AC;? at 8000 x 12000 pixels. Thai, Ayuthay period, Head of a Buddha, Florence, Berenson Collection, reproduced by permission of President and Fellows of Harvard College.

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Perhaps one of the most significant works of art in the world, da Vinciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s "Adorazione dei Magi" (Adoration of the Magi), was preserved digitally by de Rocco at the Uffizi Gallery. Hasselblad loaned the 200MS to Centrica for this important project, which allowed de Rocco to produce a final image of extraordinary quality, measuring 62000 x 62000 pixels.

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“Making creativity and knowledge accessible through digital images. Everywhere.” An ambitious mission, indeed. But Centrica, a multi-faceted company based in Italy, is wellequipped to fulfill those goals with its software solutions and technical expertise. The company was formed in 1999 by Paolo de Rocco and Marco Cappellini, who initially came together at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence where they used their computer science skills to work on a multimedia department for the Gallery. After success with similar projects in Europe, the two decided to create Centrica. “We believed,” says de Rocco, “there was a need to communicate and share content, specifically images, in a different manner,” including electronic distribution. This led, in part, to the development of specialized software by Centrica such as XLimage, for electronic viewing of, and interactivity with, high resolution images. de Rocco recalls their first project—digitizing all 1400 works of art in the Uffizi using a Phase One digital scanning back. Each scan took four hours. Since Uffizi is located in a very old building sensitive to vibrations, every time a bus passed by on the street, even heavy, stabilized tripods shook, producing a less than ideal image. Now, says de Rocco, who uses the Hasselblad 50MS and, for special projects, the 200MS, “you can achieve the same result by clicking the camera.” Although the Hasselblad MultiShot has resolved many issues, photographing art presents a number of other challenges. Every painting, object and fresco, for instance, has to be photographed and lit in a different manner, taking into account param-

In order to focus in dim lighting and on artwork with little contrast, de Rocco’s assistant may place another object in front of the painting or use a laser pointer to help focus the lens.

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Before capturing a section of a painting, the frame will be examined on the computer. If, for example, the center of the frame (with the best focus) is on a blank area, adjustments will be made to focus on a critical component of the painting, such as the hand of the baby as seen in this detail (right, page 23) from the "Adorazione dei Magi".

eters such as surface texture. Even lighting, for example, often produces a flat image, so de Rocco may take a second shot with one light predominating over the other, layer them in software (he shoots tethered) and adjust the level of transparency until he achieves the look he wants. This technique, de Rocco says, often “keeps the image visually alive.” Since each project is different, and it’s not always possible to place the lights in an ideal position, de Rocco scouts the location beforehand and maps out the best way to proceed. Shooting and stitching multiple captures is a critical part of de Rocco’s work but can be a time-consuming, inexact process. But thanks to Centrica’s expertise in software solutions, an algorithm was created to determine—based on acquisition parameters such as density to achieve, camera, lens, etc.—where to position the camera, the number of shots needed, and the overlap required for subsequent perfect stitching. The desired focus area is also determined through software calculations. As you can see, photographing art is a complex process, with many more factors to consider than we’ve discussed here. de Rocco, who works closely with his assistant, Andrea Bini, as well as others at Centrica, points out: “It is impossible to have great results, without a great team.” And thanks to the team, Centrica is fulfilling its goal of making it possible to share culturally relevant images. Everywhere.

■ www.centrica.it ■ www.hasselblad.com

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HASSELBLAD OWNERS’ CLUB 4/2012

SOFIE LOUCA Members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have chosen a picture by Sofie Louca as Photo of the Month. Introducing the Cyprus-based wedding photographer and her aesthetic world.

For the second time in almost two years, Sofie Louca’s wedding photography is being showcased on the HOC winner’s page. Her stunning images also earned her a well-deserved place as a semi-finalist in the last Hasselblad Masters competition, so it’s especially fitting that her images are again featured in VICTOR. Louca started shooting professionally in 2002 but didn’t begin her journey in wedding photography until 2005. Since then, she and her husband, Paul Karaolides (who is the second shooter alongside Louca and was recently a Masters finalist) have built a successful business with their fresh, contemporary style. Although they shoot some fashion for their own enjoyment, their main focus is on wedding photography. They prefer to shoot a small number of high end weddings, with an emphasis on quality over quantity. “Our clients are those that understand the importance of photography and appreciate the quality and style of our work,” says Louca. Shooting with an H4D-40, she adds, “serves as a unique selling point,” an important factor in their success. “We market ourselves as high end wedding photographers providing quality products and service as well as outstanding quality images. The Hasselblad H4D-40 is one more aspect that gives us the edge over our competitors.” Vita: Born Hertfordshire/United Kingdom in 1970. Provides Photoshop tutorials online. Plans new photo workshops in Cyprus for Greek speaking and English speaking photographers www.amorphiaphotography.com www.hasselblad.com

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HASSELBLAD OWNERS’ CLUB 4/2012

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HASSELBLAD MASTER PORTFOLIO

10 YEARS LATER // HASSELBLAD MASTERS 2002

FERIT KU YAS Ferit Kuyas was only 16 when he received his first camera, which was a gift from his father. But it wasn’t until years later that he began his career in photography. Born in Istanbul but based in Switzerland, Kuyas studied architecture and law in Zurich. While he holds a law degree, his interest in photography and architecture prevailed and this self-taught photographer and 2002 Hasselblad Master began accepting commercial assignments in 1989. Although he considers himself a generalist with a credo of order, reduction and richness of light—elements that come naturally to his style of shooting—Kuyas’ commercial assignments revolve around

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architecture, interiors and environmental portraits. But cityscapes have been at the center of his personal photography for about the last 8 years. He currently plans to continue his cityscape work with a trip to Guatemala City, which he will photograph on 4x5 film. In addition to his commercial and editorial work, and numerous exhibitions, the award-winning Kuyas has published a number of books. His most recent project, which he plans to self-publish in a limited edition next year, is “Quintology of Diaries.” It’s a 5-part artist book with humorous and ironic titles such as “50 objects I haven’t touched in 5 years” and “Everything you didn’t want to

know about me.” While it may not hit the New York Times’ best-seller list, “Quintology” certainly has piqued our interest and is another indication of Kuyas’ versatility and talent. In closing, Kuyas talked about his 2002 Hasselblad Masters Award. “I’m really proud of the award and very honored,” says Kuyas. “Probably the biggest impact was that I got more confidence in myself”—confidence that helped him move forward with this career in photography that he is so passionate about. www.feritkuyas.com www.hasselblad.com

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NEXT VICTOR ONLINE: 1 JUNE 2012 Be surprised by inspiring portfolios, keep up-to-date with the most significant photographic trends and read leading news for the photography community. On June 1st, 2012, check your monitor for the next issue of VICTOR online.

MONTY RAKUSEN >>industrial photography with the beauty of graphic design

RODNEY SMITH >>an exquisite synergy of fashion and landscape captured on film

>>Discover the aesthetic world of the photographer who took the Hasselblad Owners’ Club photo of the month: Jo Fober.

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HASSELBLAD OWNERS’ CLUB 5/2012

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 | 5/2012 www.victorbyhasselblad.com info@victorbyhasselblad.com Publisher: HASSELBLAD Hejrevej 30 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark Web: www.hasselblad.com Global Photographer Relations Manager Hasselblad: Paul Waterworth Paul.Waterworth@Hasselblad.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.

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