online 10.2011
photo: chris crumley
legend. The Hasselblad H4D-60 has already set new industry standards for performance, resolution, and quality in medium format DSLR cameras. And now we’re taking things one step further with the addition of a comprehensive firmware upgrade that brings a load of new features and functions. In addition to its improved controls and functionality, better sensor cooling, live video and high-speed flash sync, the H4D-60 now features a range of new features, including: • Rear LCD updated to full resolution • One-Click, instant digital focus check • Camera grip info on rear LCD • Two directional, electronic spirit level Naturally, the H4D-60 also gives you full access to our powerful Phocus software, out-of-the-box Hasselblad Natural Colors, the outstanding H System lenses, and all other benefits of the H4D line. To see how the H4D-60 handles in practice and to see the amazing images this camera can produce, check out www.hasselblad.com.
a legend in the making.
www.hasselblad.com/h4d-60legend
editorial
For decades, through the efforts of the Shriro Group, Hasselblad has maintained a strong presence in China. The brand is very well known to local professionals and, even in the days of film cameras, Hasselblad was considered the top of the line camera. I remember hearing a story that a photographer bought a 503CW and loved it so much that he took it to bed with him and kept clicking the shutter button all night saying that, “the shutter sounds like music from heaven!” Thanks, in large part, to the brand’s heritage and the continuous technological development of cameras, Hasselblad is flourishing in the Chinese market. This exceptional growth is probably best exemplified in the past three years as Hasselblad sales in China have increased by more than 50% despite the worldwide economic crisis. Moving forward, I am optimistic about Hasselblad’s growth and pledge our sustained support of customers in China and Asia following the transition of Hasselblad ownership from Shriro to Ventizz. My optimism for the future is also based on the fact that the commercial photography market in China remains very strong. Additionally, the art photography is undergoing a period of rapid growth, giving Chinese photographers opportunities to exhibit their work. But one of the most important platforms for Chinese photographers to share their images with the world is the Hasselblad Masters Program. In fact, one of the first Masters was the Chinese commercial photographer Xie Mo, who was awarded this honor in the 2001 competition and is currently a member of the Masters jury. Other Chinese Masters include landscape photographer Wang Jianjun, Ms. Juan Zi, one of the top fashion photographers in Beijing, Dong Jiancheng, Tang Hui and, most recently, Peng Bang, whose images are featured in this issue of VICTOR. Our Masters also participate in various events that we hold in China. This year, we have organized several opportunities for photographers to meet our Masters, view their work and test drive the latest Hasselblad cameras. Stay tuned for upcoming Master events in China and check www.hasselbladmasters.com I believe that the Hasselblad Masters Program not only celebrates a photographer’s work but also provides a way for Masters to contribute to the development of photography around the world. This is part of a Hasselblad Master’s mission.
Content
With his highly stylized portraits, Andreas Nestl delves into the dreams and wishes of children.
4 >> News Hasselblad Masters Finalists 2012 Tour - London: The first stop on the tour was a resounding success. Naked Beauty: A glimpse into the new book by Hasselblad photographer Sylvie Blum reveals beautiful poses and unique aesthetic of female beauty.
6 >> Andreas Nestl In this issue of VICTOR online, the Berlin-based Tyrolean portrait photographer Andreas Nestl presents a selection of the opulent children’s dreams images. As the winner of the Photo Project 2011 Nestl used the H4D-40 for imaginative portraits.
20 >> Marc Adrian Members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have chosen an image by British beauty and fashion advertising photographer Marc Adrian for the winning photograph. At VICTOR online, we invite you to explore the beautiful work of this self-taught photographer.
24 >> Bang Peng Hasselblad Master and landscape photographer Bang Peng shares some of his Masters “Emotion” images that were captured in the Western Sichuan Province of China. For Peng, photography is the language with which he “praises the beauty of nature.”
38 >> preview An unlikely pairing of chimpanzees and designer handbags work perfectly in German Swiss photographer Armin Zogbaum’s “Monkey Around” series. Be sure to come back next month to find out more about shooting monkeys.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue of VICTOR online! Yours, Randolp Hong, Hasselblad Brand Manager China - Shriro (H.K.) Ltd.
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victornEWS book publication Sylvie Blum presents "Naked Beauty"
Hasselblad Masters London Finalists Event fully booked!
Hasselblad photographer Sylvie Blum’s latest book, Naked Beauty not only reflects her superb technical skills but, more importantly, a unique aesthetic that is a confluence of her discerning eye, wonderful use of light and her experience as a former model and muse. Filled with 100 two-tone images of perfectly sculptured female forms, Naked Beauty is a rich visual experience that will intrigue and please photographers and non-photographers alike. Her models twist and turn – some in seemingly impossible, but beautiful poses – that Blum captures in whole or in part using the H4D-31 amonst others. Without the distraction of color, the viewer’s attention focuses solely on the lines and curves of the women who emanate both beauty and confidence. As Blum says, “Inner beauty is the purest form of showing a human being without hiding anything.” And she has deftly shown the inner beauty of her subjects on the pages of Naked Beauty. ■ www.sylvie-blum.com
Held at the Hasselblad Studio in London last month, the first stop on the Hasselblad Masters Finalists 2012 Tour was a resounding success. The free event booked up quickly with hundreds of photographers, assistants and other creatives registering for the opportunity to learn from the best in the business, shoot with the Hasselblad H4D System and get a first look at a large selection of Masters Finalists’ images. Jam-packed, the Hasselblad Studio brimmed with excitement and activities. Masters shared their work and expertise with other photographers. Attendees participated in professional model shoots using the latest Hasselblad H4D cameras, lenses and accessories on sets lit with broncolor equipment. If you missed the London event, no worries. The Tour is on the road again, traveling to the following cities: Los Angeles: October 13, 2011; New York City: October 27, 2011 and Berlin: November 17, 2011. These events are open and free to everyone on a first come, first served basis. Please register early at www.hasselbladmasters.com so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity to discover the secrets of the Masters and get some hands-on time with the coveted H4D System. Perhaps London and Tokyo based fine art photographer Hiroko Enseki, a Hasselblad shooter himself, said it best: “I was just a visitor at this London event but the experience really opened my eyes. There is some truly outstanding work being created within this famous Hasselblad program and it makes me want to enter and become a finalist next time myself.”
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Hasselblad Owners’ Club 10/2011
Hasselblad users all over the world exchange news on the Hasselblad Owners’ Club (HOC) site. At the end of September, registered users chose a new Photo of the Month, taken by Nancy Verbeke. With this picture, the Belgian photographer prevailed over the strong competition. We will fully introduce him in the November issue of VICTOR online. ■
© Naked Beauty by Sylvie Blum, Brooke II, Hollywood, 2009, to be published by teNeues in August 2011, 78 Euro - www.teneues.com. Photo © 2011 Sylvie Blum, courtesy Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles. All rights reserved. www.sylvie-blum.com
Hands-on experience during a professional model shoot gave attendees the opportunity to test Hasselblad's latest technologies.
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Please find this movie at www.victorbyhasselblad.com
Andreas Nestl The interpretation of “Children’s Dreams” takes on another dimension in the creative hands of Photo Project 2011 winner, photographer Andreas Nestl. Presented on the following pages are his beautifully lit and exacting styled portraits of children and their dreams.
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Inspired by Renbrandt's painting, photographer Andreas Nestl's attention to detail in this images is clearly evident in costuming, hair and make-up and lighting. Nineyear-old Millane dreams about being puppet and having a sister.
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Right and left: Nine-year-old Katharina dreams of ballet and dance. She likes transformation and has a box of clothes that inspires her. Her posture and body tension emphasize her dream of being a ballet star.
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Eleven-year-old Vincenz dreams about being powerful and strong. To reflect that dream, he is portrayed as a warrior in period costume.
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Five-year-old Arseni's fantasizes about living in a castle made of chocolate with the power to open all the doors (even the locked ones) in the world. In keeping with Arseni's dreams, Nestl dressed him in a guard's costume.
Veronica, who is 10 years old, wants to be a small pixie so she can cast spells and outshine everything with her elfish appearance. The intricate styling of her wig is just one example of the attention to detail that contributed to the success of this shoot.
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The combination of lighting, expression, costuming and make-up clearly draw us into ten-year-old Jona's fantasy world where he dreams of being a lordly prince who fights against wolves in the forest.
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Crazy Mozart is the inspiration of eight-year-old Tristan, who loves to play the violin. One day he wants to be a famous composer and musician just like him.
Portrayed as a baron's daughter, Nestl, who worked as an assistant for renowned fashion photographer Gianpaolo Barbieri, aptly interpreted nine-year-old Hannah's dream of having artistocratic parents and being a graceful fairy tale figure.
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Portfolio andreas nestl
Portrayed as a queen, Emily's costume, wig and props are intricately detailed. Thanks to Nestl, nine-year-old Emily was able to live her dream of being the bride in a royal wedding wearing a golden, silk dress and a crown. As children, we all have dreams of what and who we want to be. For Berlin-based Tyrolean photographer Andreas Nestl, the idea of presenting these fantasies in photographs formed the basis for his winning “Children’s Dreams” Photo Project 2011 proposal. Sponsored by Hasselblad Germany, the competition provided Nestl with Hasselblad equipment, along with professional marketing, PR and distribution advice. The planning and organization of “Children’s Dreams” took between 6-8 months, which included casting, costume and make-up research and the search for the right makeup and hair artist. Nestl had already completed a number of large projects
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on his own, including: “Twilight Gamblers,” for which he created portraits of 150 people (including famous northern Italian politicians and celebrities), which were installed on the façade of buildings; “Mother Earth,” for which he photographed 40 pregnant women in a studio, in a style inspired by Flemish paintings, along with several other bodies of work for exhibition and book publication, so he was no stranger to the extensive work associated with complex projects. Casting was arranged with Achim Gebauer at the acting agency, Tomorrow, in Berlin. Most of the children Nestl cast did not have much experience in shooting or acting rather, Nestl wanted to cast
“children with strong creativity and fantasy but also with an authentic personality and a strong character.” During casting, Nestl spoke with the children and asked them about their respective dreams. “Their ideas,” says Nestl, “laid the foundation for the photo shoot.” Nestl drew inspiration for “Children’s Dreams” from Rembrandt’s paintings: “I wanted to create a Renaissance and Baroque theme that helps the children to live their dreams without any social influences,” explaining further that, “Behind each portrayal there is a secret, which is not visible at first glance. It was important to me not to choose career aspirations but creative approaches.”
With this in mind, Nestl needed someone familiar with historic make-up and hair styling. Christina Wagner, whom Nestl met through Yvonne Yoseph, head of Studio Babelsberg’s Make-Up studio in Berlin, was the perfect addition to the team. Costuming was also critical to the creation of Nestl’s vision and thanks to the historic costumes and stylists at Theaterkunst Berlin, Nestl was able to dress each child in clothing, accessories and wigs that matched their individual dreams while remaining true to the Renaissance and Baroque theme. Given the complex costuming, make-up and hair styling, a full day was devoted to photographing each child. Nestl, usually shoots with his H1D (which he purchased early in his career), was loaned an H4D-40 for “Children’s Dreams.” “I realized quite early that the Hasselblad is the best you can have for high quality photography. It was a great experience for me to work with the H4D and to see the progress of the development [of the cameras]. The H4D is even faster than mine and handles very well.” He also cites the importance of the True Focus system and the “incredible file size,” from the H4D-40, “which is a dream for every postproducer to work with.” Thanks to SanDisk, Nestl worked with high capacity 16GB CompactFlash cards to accommodate those large file sizes. To fulfill his Rembrandt-inspired concept, Nestl decided to use a warm dark light. Thanks to support from ARRI and product manager Darina Enz, Nestl was easily able to achieve the look and feel that gives these images such a strong visual impact. “ARRI is qualified for an expressionistic hard light and I had the chance to experiment with different filters, lenses and accessories,” says Nestl, who described the film light as the perfect tool to express his art. For postproduction Nestl teamed up with PX1 Berlin. “We decided to adapt a warm look and to clear the skin. It is not my aim to prettify people,” Nestl explains. “I would like to keep the authenticity of my portraits and let them tell their own story.” And, indeed, the beautiful images on these pages clearly express the stories – and hopes and dreams – of each young subject. ■ www.andreasnestl.com Digital assistance: Anette Klich; Casting: Agency Tomorrow Berlin, Achim Gebauer; Postproduction: PX1 Berlin, Petra Lippmann; Make-up and hair styling: Christina Wagner, Studio Babelsberg's Make-up studio by Yvonne Yoseph; Renaissance and Baroque costumes: Theaterkunst Berlin
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Marc Adrian Members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club have chosen a picture by Marc Adrian as Photo of the Month. Introducing the British beauty and fashion advertising photographer and his aesthetic world.
Marc Adrian owned his first and only Hasselblad camera, an H3DII-31, for only a couple of weeks when he captured the winning HOC image (page 23, upper left) by the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. In fact, it was only his third shoot with the new camera – a camera that he chose over the Phase One P30+ because “the skin tones on the Hasselblad were simply superior.” It was the right choice, says Adrian who explains that, shooting with the H3D has “changed my career.” Growing up in Scotland, a brief stint as a stock broker made Adrian (who still has the Kodak Brownie Six-20 Model C his grandfather gave him when he was 8) quickly realize that “life is too short not to follow your passions.” He picked up a camera and hasn’t thought about doing anything else ever since explaining that, “I guess it’s what I was always meant to do!” The self-taught photographer honed his photographic skills shooting sled dog races after he and his wife moved to the U.S., spending weeks at a time in the Alaskan tundra fending off frost bite. But after a lifethreatening snowmobile accident, Adrian decided that it was time for a change. So it was off to Los Angeles, where he built his fashion and beauty portfolio and began traveling the world on assignment. His next big gig? Shooting Canadian retailer Naissant’s first international ad campaign this winter in South Africa – one of Adrian’s favorite places to shoot.
Vita: Born in Scotland, 1969; based in Seattle. Professional photographer for 12 years. Recently signed with Attitude, a creative agency in Dubai. www.marcadrianfoto.com www.hasselblad.com
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Hasselblad Master portfolio
Landscape/Nature
Bang peng Hong Kong based Hasselblad Master Bang Peng was drawn to landscape photography because of his love for nature. He explains that he uses imagery to “praise the beauty of nature” and that’s exactly what he did for his Masters Emotion project when he captured these scenes in China’s Western Sichuan Province. Although it was winter when Peng created his Masters project, he used the weather and time of year to his advantage. A snowstorm prevented him from shooting one day but on the following day, “the snow covered the land and made nature more quiet and mysterious.” It was also shortly after Chinese New Year and the colorful flags presented a strong contrast with the snow and, Peng adds, “the flags also illustrate the strong Tibetan” influence in this area. Peng, who started shooting with the Hasselblad V System, captured these images with his H4D-50 using several different lenses including the HCD 4/28mm (one of his favorite lenses for capturing landscapes), 35-90mm, 300mm and CF-120mm and 180mm lenses with a CF adapter. The 28mm wideangle shots were handheld; all others were shot using a tripod. When he’s not shooting with the H4D-50, he’ll capture images with his 503CW and a CFV-50 digital back. In the early 1970’s, when Peng was working in the cultural department in China, it was very rare for anyone to own a camera. But photography was part of Peng’s job, so he used that time to hone his skills. More importantly, he developed a love for photography – “the more photographs I took, the more I found that I loved photography.” Although he stopped shooting in the late 1980’s, moved to Hong Kong and started his own trading business, his passion for photography remained strong. In 2005, Peng gave up his trading business and began to photograph professionally and, only five short years later, became a Hasselblad Master – which is a proof of his creative vision and his photographic skills. www.hasselblad.com
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Next victor online: 1 November 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 November 1st, 2011, check your monitor for the next issue of VICTOR online.
Armin ZogBaum >> monkeys present this season's musthaves with a smile on the fashion hype
Joao Carlos >> storytelling and colorful pictures catch you in a moment
>> Discover the aesthetic world of the photographer who took the Hasselblad Owners’ Club photo of the month: Nancy Verbeke
HOC
Hasselblad Owners’ Club 10/2011
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 | 10/2011 www.victorbyhasselblad.com info@victorbyhasselblad.com
Project Management: Christine Heinrichs heinrichs@centerofservice.com
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
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.
Global Photographer Relations Manager Hasselblad: Paul Waterworth Paul.Waterworth@Hasselblad.com
Hasselblad is a registered trademark of Victor Hasselblad A/S, Denmark. Place of jurisdiction and execution: Hamburg, Germany
Publisher: Stephan Bittner
©C orey
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