online 1.

2010
 © HANS STRAND
© KEVIN THEN

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editorial Content

It is incredibly simple to be-

come 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 photog-
raphers 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 Equipped with
in a shed in a car repair shop in central Gothenburg. an H3DII-31, Alberto
Right from the very beginning, Hasselblad began Peroli docu­ments
producing the best camera and lens systems, inspi- the Smile pro­ject in
ring and cooperating with the most talented photog- Bangladesh – this
raphers in the world. These include landscape snapshot was taken in
photographer, Ansel Adams. In the mid 1950s, he a Khulna hospital (ri.)
photographed the then-isolated Yosemite Indian
reservation – taking black and white images that are
04 >> news
today considered historic, while still remaining just
as vibrant and beautiful as when they were taken. In an interview with Hasselblad’s new CEO Dr. Larry Hansen, and Di-
There was also the young Annie Leibovitz, who rector of Product Management Peter Stig-Nielsen, they explain what to
worked her way behind the scenes to portray the expect from Hasselblad in 2010; and why it’s all about the best picture.
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 06 >> alberto peroli
December day, in 1980, when John was shot.
Annie Leibovitz’s photography will be seen and appre- In October, 2009, the Italian photographer documented Smile –
ciated by generations long after we are gone; and the a social project in Bangladesh. Using an H3DII-31, he produced some
best bit is that she continues to be a very active impressive photos of everyday life in slums, schools and hospitals.
photog­rapher – a supreme heavyweight – who is still
producing plenty of new work.
Very soon we’ll be celebrating another generation 20 >> High five
of Hasselblad Masters – though they are no longer
selected by Hasselblad itself. In the middle of January, Which photographers have made it to the top? International
2010, the next generation of masters – all possessing advertising agencies present their five candidates for the pantheon
the famous “x factor” – will be in the spotlight. The of the best (commercial) photographers in the world.
amazingly talented photographers went through one
of the toughest international photo contests around:
the Hasselblad Masters Award. 15.000 images were 22 >> Mark zibert
submitted from all around the world. These were then
processed and judged by two international juries – Pure dynamics – Canadian photographer, Mark Zibert, captured
as well as the general public who had the right to cast the Chinese masses and their sports idols, as part of a large-scale
votes –, which finally resulted in the selection of this Adidas campaign for the summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
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. 32 >> peter mathis
And now the ten photographers can expect a lot
of work: to start with, over the next months, they
The pictures by Hasselblad Master, Peter Mathis, capture the
have to produce pictures for the Hasselblad Masters Austrian’s delight and fascination for sports and action, always
Book, Volume II – Emotion, which will be published showing the decisive moments of peak human performance.
in September. In addition they will be busy with
numerous photo exhibitions around the world –
including the Visual Gallery at photokina –, where 36 >> preview
visitors will be able to enjoy their impressive work.
All this and more, because these photographers have
Whether photographing a real or a staged wedding, the
outstanding talent and only needed a nanosecond to Australian, Rodney Hobbs, always captures the most beautiful
capture a unique moment in space and time. day in a person’s life in sensitive, pathos-free pictures.
We hope you enjoy the new issue of VICTOR online.

Yours,
Christian Nørgaard,
Photographer Relations Manager Hasselblad

ONLINE 1/2010 3
victorNews
determined to build the best
In a resolute forward move, Hasselblad has been transformed from the the high-end professional segment. raw files open directly into the Apple
Now, having reached an outstand- Finder and Aperture and into Adobe’s
premium manufacturer of the finest, professional analogue cameras to the ing position with our current digital Camera Raw and Lightroom.
cameras, we can expand our relation- VICTOR: So what’s next?
market leader of medium format DSLR cameras. Newly appointed CEO,
ships with all those customers who Stig-Nielsen: New photographic
Dr. Larry Hansen, says it’s time to switch from revolution to accelerated, own a Hasselblad camera – H and V. products and features that will lever-
VICTOR: In what way? age on what we’ve achieved in the
steady evolution, maintaining focus on Hasselblad’s core principle: build-
Peter Stig-Nielsen: Take a look past five years, of course. 2010 starts
ing the best camera in the world. VICTOR talked with Larry Hansen and at our H4D high-end DSLR camera out with our launch of the H4D line
line, which has been produced with of high-end DSLRs, employing our
Director of Product Management, Peter Stig-Nielsen.
a modern, digital fit lens line and TrueFocus solution to the traditional
optical accessories developed by multi-point auto-focus system. True-
combining a series of advanced elec- Focus uses modern gyro sensors and
tronic, optical, digital and mechanical advanced electronics to establish
elements. The result is that an image ne­cessary focus corrections in a focus-
captured through a high definition and-recompose capture situation.
wide-angle lens, and mounted on a Hansen: Whenever possible, we
tilt/shift adapter, comes out perfect- will also make the new technologies
VICTOR online: Mr. Hansen, what ed from aberrations, distortions and developed for the H available to our V
triggered off your joining Hasselblad light fall off. Just this year, this core customers. This means, quite simply,
and, after having been Chairman, set of features was transferred to the that owners of a V system, whether
taking on the role of CEO as well? classic V-cameras, where Hasselblad’s they bought it in the 50s, 60s, 70s,
Dr. Larry Hansen: I’ve been fol- digital backs now perfect the full line 80s or 90s, can turn them into top
lowing Hasselblad closely for quite of Carl Zeiss lenses. level digital systems by using our
some years, with great admiration In my view anyone who has in- CFV-39, for example. Or that by ap-
for the cameras and their market po- vested in a Hasselblad camera is plying our digital lens optimization
sition. You know, this company has a Hasselblad customer, no matter technology – originally developed
dominated professional photography which digital back or film magazine for the H2D and H3D – we can even
for the past 60 years, and has been a is attached. Our many Hasselblad improve the performance of the Carl
driving force to the extent that, for photographers support one lead Zeiss lenses for these cameras.
anybody with a passion for photog- strategic feature, which is the use of VICTOR: Does all this lead to a new
raphy, this is definitely the place to central lens shutters in all our lenses, corporate vision?
be. That’s why I am here. And be- to ensure that any exposure can be Hansen: I’d like to see the brand
Dr. Larry Hansen, newly Peter Stig-Nielsen,
cause I am thrilled by the challenge. flash-synced at shutter speeds up to remain faithful to its principles. One
appointed CEO of Hasselblad Director of Product Management
VICTOR: The challenge? 1/800 sec. This allows for freedom of of those principles is to do our best
Hansen: Well, looking at the state operation, which all photographers to ensure that our customers have
of the high-end camera industry after love. In the times to come, I look for- opted for the right system. This is
years of digital revolution, one could ward to seeing Hasselblad get back also derived from how we measure
easily be scared off. A long list of re- and deliver new benefits with spe- up in questions of consistency and
nowned companies like Polaroid, digital innovation is tied in with our customer relations during the move cific services and offerings. Essential customer care. With the expansion
Agfa, Bronica, and Contax have gone photographic virtues, and is at the from a world of film to the DSLR to the whole equation is our quest to of our core competences into the
out of business and others, including core of all we do. world? provide our loyal customers with the digital world, and with our new busi-
Kodak, Hasselblad and Mamiya, have Our basic business model has Hansen: First of all, that we will stay best possible system. Even more im- ness model supporting Hasselblad’s
suffered huge losses, even though changed too. In the past, our cam- close, even closer to our customers. I portant is to offer the best support, position as a high-end DSLR manu-
they knew early on what was com- eras were made up of modular bodies have seen letters from Victor Hassel- technical service and products fo- facturer, I look forward to guiding
ing, and even though they had many onto which you could attach lenses, blad to Ansel Adams, where he refers cused on our customers’ needs. us into a sound, and customer ori-
resources to invest. There still is a lot film magazines, and viewfinders. to product refinements dated back to Hansen: Looking at our products, ented, future. 60 years ago, Victor
of room for failure – for everybody. Moving into the digital age we have 1968, and I have met Buzz Aldrin and I’m very impressed by the detail and Hasselblad already explained that
So this is the challenge. had to change our business model in learned how Victor Hasselblad per- color rendering of the images cap- our inspiration was to build the best
VICTOR: So what will change at such a manner that our modern cam- sonally followed the development of tured by the sensors in a Hasselblad camera in the world and to be the
Hasselblad? era platform, the H1, has become the Lunar camera very closely. camera. Parts of the image perfection best partner for our customers.
Hansen: Realizing that we are steer- Hasselblad’s DSLR camera line, rath- In the first chaotic years of our is closely related to our imaging soft- Nothing has changed in that re-
ing the company within an area of er than a camera body for every 3rd digital transition, we succeeded ware, Phocus. The latest version of spect – it’s our guiding principle. I
constant digital evolution, we not party digital back vendor to use. This by focusing very narrowly on the the Phocus software offers a choice of would probably broaden the vision
only need Hasselblad’s burning move has secured our strategic posi- needs of the very high-end profes- “light” and “standard” use, improv- a little and say that our job is to build
passion for non-compromising pho- tion for the future, but it has created sional photographer, but I believe we ing our service for the photographer the best camera in the world that al-
tography and courage to set extreme difficulties in our customers’ percep- missed out on the relationship with who doesn’t want to spend any time lows our customers to take the best
standards for image quality – we tion of the brand; they have claimed a section of our V customers. I intend at all with software. Another way to photographs. After all, that is what
need more. Our core competences that we “locked out” 3rd party prod- to put a lot of effort behind keeping open up to a wider use of the Hassel- we should never forget: at the end of
have been extended to include prime ucts to achieve our business goals. Hasselblad in tune with the very top blad raw files is through the support the day, it’s all about taking photog-
optical, electronic, digital hardware VICTOR: What does this mean for end of photography, expanding on from Apple and Adobe application raphy further. That’s what we aspire
and software expertise. Nowadays, the customer? What happened to our position as a market leader in environments. Today, all Hasselblad to today, just as we did 60 years ago.

4 ONLINE 1/2010
Alberto
Peroli
Equipped with a H3DII-31
from Hasselblad and a lot
of idealism, Italian photo-
grapher, Alberto Peroli,
traveled to Bangladesh
in October, 2009, on as-
signment for the Smile
project, where he cap-
tured images of everyday
life in slums, schools and
hospitals. His pictures
speak of the life and suf-
fering of needy children
and committed benefac-
tors – 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

6 ONLINE 1/2010
8 ONLINE 1/2010
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)
ONLINE 1/2010 9
10 ONLINE 1/2010
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

ONLINE 1/2010 11
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)
12 ONLINE 1/2010
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
ONLINE 1/2010 13
 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 ex-
plaining to her why it is important
that she go to school regularly

14 ONLINE 1/2010
ONLINE 1/2010 15
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
16 ONLINE 1/2010
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
ONLINE 1/2010 17
Portfolio Alberto Peroli
In the end, people just want to be sat-
isfied, 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 as-
signment in Bangladesh for the Smile
project (Progetto Sorriso nel Mondo –
ONLUS) launched by a group of Ital-
ian doctors. Created in 1997, the in-
ternational 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 av-
erage of one in every thousand chil-
dren, 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 op-
erate 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 Af-
rica (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 pho-
tographer 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 pro-
fessional 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.
18 ONLINE 1/2010
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 docu-
menting 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, ex-
plaining his approach.
Father Ricardo, an Xaverian mis-
sionary 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, orphan-
ages 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 situ-
ations 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 ap-
proach evolves primarily through
contact with the people, the light,
and the feelings and vibrations con-
veyed 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
ONLINE 1/2010 19
 5
the Top photographers

High 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 under-
standing 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 insight-
ful 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 in­­-
clude: 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 presen-
tation 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.”
Esther Haase: Esprit, 2008, for TBWA/Düsseldorf
Pablo González de la Peña, Creative Director, Shackleton, Madrid
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 audio-
visual 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
20 ONLINE 1/2010
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

ONLINE 1/2010 21
ONLINE 1/2010
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 photo-
graphy and logistics. VICTOR was granted
a glimpse into the making of.

PHotos: Mark Zibert

ONLINE 1/2010 23
ONLINE 1/2010
 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

ONLINE 1/2010 25
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.”

26 ONLINE 1/2010
ONLINE 1/2010
ONLINE 1/2010
 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

ONLINE 1/2010 29

Three hundred Chinese men and
women crowd together on the lawn
of a soccer stadium. They reach for
the sky, cheering loudly. What’s hap-
pening 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” Olym-
pic 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 pho-
tographic 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 enthu-
siasm 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 pho-
tographer with a scrupulous eye for
30 ONLINE 1/2010
impossible is nothing
detail, and he retouches his work
himself. Mark was simply the best
man for the job.”
It’s much cheaper to run a produc-
tion 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 cam-
paign 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 Photo-
shop 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 dif-
ferent 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 mile-
stone 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-year-
old 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 commit-
ted no more than half an hour to the
photo shoot, but Mark Zibert – an
expert sports and portrait photogra-
pher – 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 Mark Zibert
athletes in the optical center of the
crowd, the creative team was quick Canadian photographer Mark
to discover a need to modify the Zibert was born in Toronto in
original plan. “Whilst photograph- 1977. After attending Sheri­
ing the crowd, we simply imagined dan College he went on to
in our minds’ eye where the athletes work as a photo assistant
would be placed. Then we photo-
between 1998 and 1999. Since
graphed the athletes depending
2000, he keeps himself busy
on the stadium lighting,” Zibert
explains. “When we added the ath-
as a freelance photographer.
letes on top of the background, Mark Zibert worked on his
though, we found that the supporting first large-scale advertising
hands didn’t interact with the ath- campaign for Nike at the ten­
letes in the way we’d hoped for.” In der age of 23. His clients also
the original design, the assumption include Adidas, Timberland,
was that at least some of the hands
Brita, Arrow, Sims, Nissan,
would be near enough the athlete; all
Toyota, Lexus, Nokia, Stella
it would require were some retouch-
Artois and Pepsi. Mark Zibert’s
ing and everything would fall into
place. Alas, the idea blew up – not photography has been pub­
realistic enough. And so the team lished in “Life”, “GQ”/Italy,
changed plan. Once the final picture “Sir”, “Entertainment
of each athlete had been selected, a Weekly”. He’s received
stuntman was ordered into the stu- numerous awards, such as
dio and suspended in a harness. He the Communication Arts
would imitate the pose and several
2001–2006, the Silver
actors would support him in the
National Magazine Award
desired manner. These few actors
were then layered into the crowd in 2005, the Archive Magazine
the optical center of the image. Now, Top 200 Photographers 2006,
the athlete really looked as though ADCC 2002–2005 and the
he were being carried by the crowd. bronze Lion in Cannes 2005.
Each campaign image was pieced
together from a number of photos
and graphic layers. Fortunately, Zib-
ert 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 Fer-
reira 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 our-
selves. 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
Agency:180/TBWA, China; creative direc-
very largest prints ever produced by
tors: Yang Yeo, Elvis Chau, Lesley Zhou, John
Adidas will be mounted for display Merrifield, Sarawut Hengsawad; copywrit-
in Peking. Some of them will mea- ers: Lesley Zhou, Sarawut Hengsawad, Nicky
Zhang, Michelle Wu; producer: Peter
sure 55 yards in width and veil entire
Dell’Agnes; line producer/agent: Johnny
facades of skyscrapers. Who said that Leijonhufvud; agency producer: Linda Tan;
size doesn’t matter? SUSANNE SCHMITT 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
ONLINE 1/2010 31
Hasselblad Masters 2007
Peter Mathis
Born in Hohenems/Austria, in
1961 | freelance photographer
since 1986 | published in the ‘Bell
Europe’, ‘Climbing’/USA, ‘Snow-
style’/Japan, and ‘Stern’, among
others | Advertisements for Black
Diamond, Helly Hansen, Quick-
silver, 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
32 ONLINE 1/2010
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 view-
finder camera. A short while later I
exchanged it for my first SLR.
The heroes. From the very first
moment I saw Ansel Adams’s large-
format, 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 anti-
cipating 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 35
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
VICTOR online | 1/2010
www.victorbyhasselblad.com
info@victorbyhasselblad.com
>> it is the coloring Publisher:
Stephan Bittner, Center of Service GmbH
that makes his imag- Publishing House /Advertising:
Center of Service GmbH
es so unmistakeable Hammerbrookstr. 93
20097 Hamburg, Germany
Tel.: + 49.40.25 40 48-69 (Fax: - 40)
E-mail: info@centerofservice.com
Items and topics in the next issue of Photographer Relations
VICTOR online may be changed or post- Manager Hasselblad: Christian Nørgaard
poned due to editorial or other reasons. Christian.Norgaard@Hasselblad.dk
Realization: IDC Corporate Publishing GmbH,
Hamburg, Germany
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 permis-
sion 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

36 ONLINE 1/2010
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SanDisk and the Sandisk logo, SanDisk Extreme and Compact Flash are trademarks of SanDisk Corp, registered in the US and other countries. SDHC logo is a trademark of SD-3C LLC.
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* 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. x=150kb/sec. Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device.
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