online 4.2010

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04 >> newsHasselblad Owners’ Club: a fashion shot by Alessandro Dobici has been chosen as the first Photo of the Month · Hasselblad Masters Award 2010: announcing the new members of the jury

06 >> Tim wallaceImages taken by Wallace capture the car photographer’s perso nal feelings about his subject, which explains how he was able to develop a unique style and establish himself so quickly in the market.

22 >> amedeo m. TurelloThe Italian photographer is passionate about immortalizing the style, elegance and charm of women. He has recently published a book collecting together his best images from the past ten years.

40 >> carl lyTTlePhotographer Carl Lyttle, a former Hasselblad Master, couples perfectionism with a high level of individuality and diversity. In his images he combines static grandeur with cinematic dynamics.

42 >> morTen QvaleThe high voltage close-up pictures taken by Norwegian beauty and fashion photographer Morten Qvale are truly riveting: brilliant, colorful, impressive. He shoots with an H3DII-50.

48 >> preview

Award-winning, American reportage photographer, Steve McCurry, set out to explore Thailand equipped with the new Hasselblad H4D-40 – and shows his most outstanding images.

Mary Kay Ash, founder of a cosmetic empire, once remarked: “Listen long enough and the person will generally come up with an adequate solution.” And here at Hasselblad we’re very good at listening. our customers’

needs have always driven our product output – and never more so than with our recent launch of the H4D-40 and -50. Our customers told us what they needed and we responded with a “far more than adequate” solution. We pioneered a new series of cameras that deliver cutting edge medium for-mat solutions to a brand new generation of high-end 35mm photographers. We created faster capture rates, high ISO ratings, up to four minutes exposure times, True Focus tech-nology for simple and accurate near-field composing, the 35-90 lens, and stunning, updated Phocus software that dramatically reduces the learning curve for users – the aver-age photographer can get up to speed in less than half an hour. These are important new “game changing” advantag-es for today’s photographers, particularly those in the portrait and wedding market. All this because we listened.

And in the UK our ears are pinned back like never before. Our “listening to customers” strategy has led to a raft of new ideas, initiatives and programmes that are already making a mark on the industry. The launch of the proactive and entirely compelling Hasselblad owners’ club provides registered Hasselblad customers with a unique opportunity to interact with both the company and other users, plus free online space for publishing short personal biographies and showcasing images.

We’ve also recently launched a unique nationwide educational roadshow giving hundreds of UK students at colleges and universities an exclusive opportunity to test drive our new H4D cameras and engage directly with the company. This has already proved to be a hugely successful campaign to win hearts and minds with young audiences, and a great chance for us to dispel any previous misconcep-tions about Hasselblad pricing and service.

Our studio days and Phocus seminars are providing us with an ideal outreach to photographers who can now real-ly grasp the chance to become a real part of the Hasselblad community. Studio Days have been an eye opener for young photographers who may have previously thought Hasselblad cameras too complex for them.

We’ve been dispelling those myths up and down the UK. The launch of phocus 2.0, the world’s most powerful image processing software, and the ultimate key to a fast, effective workflow, has been widely acclaimed by Hasselblad owners.

The announcement of our Hasselbuddy programme, run through our new-look customer care team, gives photo- g raphers a link to a unique, bespoke service and one to one contact by phone or email with a member of the team, for the best technical advice, support and workflow assistance.

I am also delighted to inform you that in this edition of VICTOR online you will see a superb feature on top UK-based car photographer, Tim wallace. I have known Tim for over two years and we’ve worked together on a number of location/education shoots. Tim’s passion for our came ras, in tandem with his outstanding professional skill and ability to deliver jaw-dropping images, is simply breath taking. I have no doubt you will love his work.

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK Managing Director

eDITOrIAL CONTeNT

pictures taken by Tim wallace – like the mor gan on the

cover or this shot of an aston martin one-77 – always cause an

emotional impact

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Shortly after the Hasselblad Mas-ters Award 2010 was announced, a jury was put together providing an even wider range of experience and perspective to this exciting com-petition. The most recent member is the top American photographer, Michael Grecco, who knows the meaning of the Hasselblad Masters Awards very well – in 2001, the year the now renowned competition was first launched, he was made one of the Hasselblad Masters.

Having acclaimed photogra-pher Michael Grecco on board fits the independent jury’s make-up perfectly. Judging the Hasselblad Masters Awards for the third time, the 2010 jury is mostly made up of celebrated photographers: Peter Bialobrzeski (Germany), Steve McCurry (USA), Tim Flach (UK), F. C. Gundlach (Germany), Douglas Kirkland (USA), Joachim Ladefoged (Denmark), Xie Mo (China) and

Efrem Raimondi (Italy), in addi-tion to leading photo journalists from England, China, Germany and France. Supported by the public – these professionals will choose the eleven photographers who will each become the Hasselblad Master 2010 in their respective category.

Any professional photographer using some form of medium or large format system, and wanting to submit his or her work to the jury’s scrutiny, can do so up to December 31, 2010 at www.hasselblad.com. ■

victornEWS

Alessandro Dobici is a winner! Reg-istered members of the Hasselblad Owners’ Club chose his nostal-gic, dreamy fashion shot as Photo of the Month, making the Italian photographer the first to receive this honor. Dobici faced stiff com-petition: over 1800 images were in the running for April’s Pho-to of the Month, showing how wholeheartedly the Hasselblad com-munity has adopted the Hasselblad Owners’ Club since it went on-line on February 22 this year. During the very first weeks, the site received over 5000

visitors. For registered Hasselblad users signing up is free. By the end of March, several hundreds had reg-istered and uploaded six of their best images. Each person who uploads pictures can decide if the photos are in the competition and, theoretical-ly, all six pictures can be submitted for Photo of the Month. On the first day of each month, the winning im-age will appear on the Hasselblad Owners’ Club website; and on the Top 10 page, another nine pictures considered worthy of mention will also be displayed. Passing the courser over any of the Top 10 pictures will not only reveal which photographer took the picture, but also a short bi-ography – with information such as the fact that Alessandro Dobici was born in Rome in 1970.

Dobici’s winning picture will be exhibited on the site during the month of April, as well as in the News segment of the main Hasselblad web-site. In addition, all the Photos of the Month chosen until September will be on display at the Hasselblad booth at Photokina in Cologne/Germany – another chance to be seen by inter-national photo experts.

Photo of the Month photogra-phers will also get a full presentation in VICTOR online. As of the May issue, the previous month’s winner will appear in VICTOR online, al-lowing you to learn more about the aesthetic approaches and technical preferences of each photographer – as well as getting to see more of his or her outstanding pictures. ■

communityfirst photo of the month chosen

competitionhasselblad masters: new jury members

the portfolio page of the april win ner, alessandro dobici, on the

hasselblad owners’ club site (above); the ten photos receiving most votes

appear on the top 10 page (ri.)

which eleven photographers will be chosen hasselblad masters 2010, is in the hands of a top-quality, international jury of experts – american photographer michael Grecco is its newest member

this nostalgic, dreamy fashion shot taken by alessandro dobici

was chosen as photo of the month of april by registered users

of the hasselblad owners’ club

With the new H4D-40, Hasselblad is bringing ultimate image quality to an entirely new generation of photographers.

Featuring a 40 Megapixel Medium Format sensor, our Phocus 2.0 software, and the new True Focus AF, the H4D-40 is as easy to use as any 35mm camera and provides the perfect entry point into the Hasselblad world.

Designed to meet the needs of the world’s most demanding high-end photo graphers, the H4D-40 (starting at 12,995 EUR) gives you full access to the entire Hasselblad range of professional lenses and features – at whatever stage your career is at.

So go ahead – evolve.

welcoming a new generation.

the haSSelblad h4d-40.

PHo

To: K

Evin

TH

En

the hasselblad h4d-40with true Focus technology.

Tim Wallace shot this Aston Martin Vantage outside the Sage building in Newcastle for The Aston Work-shop as part of the 2010 Aston Calendar. “We had a window of 20 minutes to complete the shot, not much time but an image that I’m very happy with,” he says

TIM WAllACe British car photographer, Tim Wallace, is more interested in an emotional response than in the technology – except in his choice of equipment: he works with Hasselblad cameras, principally an H3DII-39 or an H3DII-50. Seeing his pictures, you would never guess that Wallace has only been photographing cars for three years.

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left page, above: Tim Wallace photographed this Aston Martin Classic DB6 Mk1 for an advertis-ing feature – “I really wanted to give the car a platform for its sheer elegance and stature.” left page below: Detail of the Aston Martin One-77

Right page, above: When a storm began to brew during the Aston Martin DB7 GT shoot, Wallace quick-ly organised a protective sheeting – “We simply draped this over the car and shot 2 frames before the rain started.” Right page, below: Details of the Morgan Aero 8

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left page: “For me this image of an Aston Martin DB6 is typical of my current shooting style; it’s in a way an ‘automotive portrait’. I’m looking to capture the ‘essence’ of how the car makes me feel.”Right page: Aston Martin images shot for magazine features

Many think this picture of an Aston Martin DB5 was done with CGI, but it was taken at a vintage train repair yard. “After a lot of ‘shunting’ and much steam, the shot was taken using an array of lights to pick out the steam drifting on the tracks and give the car a clear but atmospheric feel that was sympathetic to its years.”

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“Shot on the H3DII again, this is possibly one of my favourite recent shots featuring the Morgan Aero 8, shot for the manufacturer. The brief was to show the car in a modern light that would break away from tradition and appeal to a younger customer demographic.”

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left page from above: Ford GT shot for “Vitesse”; Morgan Aero 8 shot for Morgan; Aston Martin Vanquish; Right page: Aston Martin One-77 captured on the H3DII at the Aston Design Centre for a feature advertising campaign and for the 75th Anniversary Aston Dairy

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left and right page, above: Wal-lace shot the new Ford GT model for UK super car client “Vitesse” – “I got a few strange looks when I took the Ford into a rundown industrial area, but to me the car represented a blue collar working class hero and as such it needed that roughness to the location.”

Below from left: Close-up of an Aston Martin One-77’s engine plaque, shot with a 110mm on an H3DII-39; Wallace took this shot of an engine gear for the 2010 Mer-cedes Commercial Parts calendar; with this shot of a Maserati en-gine cap, Wallace underlines the grace and beauty of this car

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British photographer, Tim Wallace, loves a challenge: if told something is impossible, he will prove the con-trary. Beginning his career as a 16 year-old in the Daily Mail Group darkroom, Wallace later worked as an agency photographer, with large media companies such as Virgin and Orange, and also served in the Ma-rines. In his mid thirties, he suffered a 147-foot fall while climbing in Nor-way, leading doctors to say he would never walk again; but a year and a half later, sheer will power had him back on his feet. Wondering what to do next with his life, he ultimately decided to become a professional car photographer. He began his new ca-reer three years ago. Putting together a business plan in four days, the ini-tial reactions were not very encour-aging: “You’re too old and you don’t live in London.” But that was not enough to dissuade Wallace.

Starting out with an analogue camera, he quickly changed to a digi-tal 35mm and, after a year on the job, turned to Hasselblad digital cameras. “When I bought into Hasselblad, I bought into the lenses,” Wallace ex-plains, and adds, “Always invest in good glass.” Hasselblad equipment and the company’s back-up service, are very important to Wallace; even so, he pays little attention to the tech-nology. “I’m probably the least tech-nical photographer you’ll ever meet,” he claims. “The camera captures the light, but it’s your heart that makes the image.” When Wallace composes a picture, he intuitively draws on his many years of experience in the dark-room. “I see it as a print, so I shoot it as a print. How it’s going to look is already in my mind,” he explains.

This approach is reflected in his aesthetic imagery, which provokes strong emotions in the viewer. Wal-lace considers his style perfectly ap-propriate because he reckons people buy such cars because of the way

they make them feel. As pointedly expressed to him by Aston Martin de-signer, Marek Reichman, “You shoot the way the car makes you feel.” As the assignment is ultimately about selling cars, Wallace considers the emotional approach is key. “Photo-graphing cars, and indeed any profes-sional vehicle, can be quite difficult. For me it’s all about shooting the im-age to fit the client. That may be a shot that is powerful and aggressive or one that gives an air of grace and beauty to the car, truck, or whatever the vehicle. In some ways I view each car as a distinct personality, and the starting point is to understand what the design and overall purpose is try-ing to put across.”

Wallace’s rapid success in his field speaks for itself. Alongside Aston Martin, his clients include Morgan and Mercedes Benz. Back in 2007, he produced the first “live shoot” semi-nar in collaboration with Jaguar – an industry first in British car photogra-phy. Nowadays the seminars take place on a yearly basis in collaboration with Land Rover, Jaguar and Morgan.

Deeply concentrated while he works, Wallace usually takes only 20 to 25 pictures a day. “It has to be worth the effort every time I release the trigger,” he explains. “The cars, they’re like sculptures to me. The shape, that’s what I’m interested in.” To ensure an emotional response, Wallace looks for a strong interac-tion with the background, which is why he prefers to work on location. “There are a lot of car photographers who spend their whole life in the stu-dio. I avoid it if I can.” This takes him outside – in nature, on railway tracks or in cities – looking for atmospheric settings in which to photograph the cars. And timing is, of course, fun-damental. Like when he managed to photograph an Aston Martin in front of dark storm clouds just before the first raindrops marred the high-lac-quer finish. www.ambientlife.co.uk

“This shot shows an Aston Martin DB5 that has been through a drive conversion from left to right hand drive as well as a full interior retrim,” Tim Wallace explains

Right page: Wallace photographed the new Audi A4 for a client in the US; below: in addition to cars, Wal lace photographs other products, such as this Seiko Kinetic watch

PorTfolIo TIM WAllACe

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Amedeo m. Turello “10 Years Celebrating Women” – a monumental photo book by Italian photographer Amedeo M. Turello – does a wonderful job of capturing the style, ele-gance and charm of women. Whether in color or black & white, Turello – who first stud-ied architecture – creates an interaction between model and setting that awakens an emo-tional response in the viewer.

Talking about a photo shoot with Amedeo m. Turello in New York, 2009, model Irina Shayk says: “Amedeo has a great energy about him. He’s so talented and easy to work with, it wasn’t hard to get great shots.”

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left: Anastassia Khozissova, New York, 2008: “Amedeo brought a lot of energy and humor to the set, which inspired everybody.” right: Janeta Samp, milan, 2009: “Anyone can pick up a camera. But only the creative mind, such as Amedeo’s, is able to include something more subtle.”

dita Von Teese, Senigallia, 2007: “When I was performing at the Summer Jamboree on the Italian riviera in Senigallia, Amedeo insisted we needed to shoot at the Art deco rotunda. It is always a great surprise to see the results. details that seemed inconsequential become vital parts of the scenery.“

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Simona levenok, Saint Tropez, 2009: “out of a dark corner of your unconscious mind, Amedeo brings out your sensuality and feeling of being a beautiful woman. He ex­poses your deepest inner nature.”

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left: Nastya Kunskaya, Saint Tropez, 2009: “Amedeo’s compositions are put together with his own, unique twist – something that is difficult to find in photographers nowadays.” right: Anta Fall, Cannes, 2007

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erin o’Connor, Cliveden House, london, 2008: “Amedeo’s

approach is certainly influenced by high cultural references from

the past, yet he is able to interpret his classic and elegant taste …

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… with an incredible, modern eye. His unique work and con stant search for beauty is re­assuring. I have always enjoyed working with him.“

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Anna Chyzh, milan, 2009: “each of his pictures opens the beauty of his muse and evokes a gentle

yet sensual realism. He has an innate love and respect for the fun­

damentals of the female form.”

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“The birth of my career as a photo-grapher was linked to Hasselblad,” renowned Italian photographer, Amedeo M. Turello, explains. The son of a north Italian furniture man-ufacturer, Turello first studied archi-tecture, then worked as a graphic designer and publisher. Everything changed, however, the day his father gave him a used analogue Hasselblad from the 2000 series. Taking pictures with the Hasselblad, Turello imme-diately discovered a passion for pho-tography, which lead him to turn professional in 1999 when he was 35. The genre he chose to work in was fashion photography.

His unique style reflects an abil-ity to place his mostly female models in the perfect setting, harmoniously incorporating the tiniest details of clothes, accessories, expression and pose. “Every time I shoot, it’s impor-tant for me to create a relationship between the subject and the space – be it a wall, a strange floor, a carpet, or a window,” Turello explains.

Turello makes good use of his knowledge of architecture and sense for shapes, colors and emotions. “For me, photography is more a question of art, emotion and expression,” the self-taught photographer says of his work. Since beginning his career, he works exclusively with Hasselblad cameras – currently mostly with his H3DII. In addition to the unequalled results, he appreciates Hasselblad’s dependability, which he feels he can rely on wherever he may be work-ing – at his adopted home in Monte Carlo, on a fashion shoot above Swe-den’s Arctic Circle, in Morocco, or in the Mojave desert.

After working in the fashion scene for ten years, photographing around

1700 female models for internation-al magazines and designers – includ-ing such renowned stars as Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Dita Von Teese –, Turello decided the time had come to create a book in honor of feminine beauty. “10 Years Cele-brating Women”, which appeared in book stores last November, presents 245 of his most beautiful and touch-ing pictures of women – some in black & white, some in color. However, it’s not about perfect beauty, which Turello finds boring, but rather about creating an emotional response to the particular style, elegance, appeal and charm of each of the women.

The photo shoot Turello remem-bers most fondly was with the now 78 year-old American cult model Carmen dell’Orefice. Having this iconic beauty in front of the camera brought tears to his eyes – it was such a wonderful moment – like a dancing swan. The photographer finds work-ing with female models both pleasant and productive, quickly managing to build relationships of trust. “Women feel very safe with me. They’re com-fortable and there’s a lot of trust. That’s why they give me the best they can and are never shy with me,” Turello says, describing the process. “The women always try to seduce me in front of the camera.” It’s the subtle tension and attraction captured in the images that bring the viewer back to the book time and again.

The photographer’s next big book project is already in the works: he is photographing top models with exotic fish in the aquarium at the Oceanographic Museum in Monte Carlo, interpreting the relationship between life and water in his own particular way – as well as celebrating feminine beauty once more.

PorTfolIo Amedeo m. Turello

Above: emmanuelle Seigner, Paris, 2006: “The shoot was fantastic. He was fast, funny, complimentary and a true gentleman.”; right: Alice rausch, San Felice, 2008: “Amedeo is possibly the photogra­pher I’ve had the best connection with in such a short time.”

Below: Nicole Trunfio, New York, 2009: “The elements of sensuality in the finished images are defi­nite ly part of the natural alchemy bet ween photographer and model.”

Amedeo M. Turello: “10 Years

Celebrating Women”, Style Book,

288 pp., 47,90 Euro

www.amedeoturello.com

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Hasselblad Masters 2007

Carl lyttle

Born in 1965 in Belfast/Northern Ireland | 1983–1986 apprentice

at the anderson McMeekin Studio in Belfast | 1986–1989 studied

photography at the Bourne mouth & Poole College | 1988–1989 photo assistant with Christopher Joyce

| freelance photo grapher since 1991 | adver tise ments for Nissan,

audi, renault, Mercedes, HSBC, B.a.t., Bt, O2, Orange, Vittel and

more| awards include aOP award 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003

Photograph of a jewel for Corbis (2005, top); picture of a New

york skyscraper for a personal assignment (2003, above)

www.carllyttle.comwww.hasselblad.com

the excitement. We shut down Wall Street in New York for a full day to do the Chrysler Stratus shoot. We had sophisticated special effects and a huge crew. Being the photographer was extremely nerve wracking because it was up to me to take the pictures. Having the responsibility for a project like this keeps the adrenaline pumping.

the dream. As a photographer I’m constantly faced with new challenges and places across the world. This is my dream and I am living it.

the nightmare. I always think positively – sometimes maybe even excessively so. I am an optimist, which is why I believe I can handle any situation – as long as I don’t see it as a nightmare. And in most cases, I don’t.

the philosophy. Passion and determination lead to victory. Most of all it’s the passion for photography that nurtures creativity and produces the heartbeat of the creative process. But I also believe that, without a well-founded technical basis, it is impossible to take one’s work to the next level and communicate that passion in the right way.

the treasure. I’m always honored when I receive an award by the Association of Photographers, as it’s an association that brings together some exceptional talent.

the Hasselblad. I work with the H3DII-39 and love the camera. The new menu control options are fantastic – and so is the large screen. To me what’s important is

the beginning. I was raised in Belfast and felt right at home in the 1970s’ Irish punk scene. Back then I wished I could take photographs of bands, just like famous Anton Corbijn was doing. When I was 15 or 16, I started using a small camera to take pictures at concerts.

the heroes. Several years ago I met Anton Corbijn for dinner. It was a big moment for me. Normally I’m not that interested in celebrities, but I would love to meet some of the outstanding contemporary pho-tographers, like Irving Penn.

the hobby horse. Photography is my favorite pastime – I eat, sleep and breathe it. But my biggest love is for my family, so I try to balance the photographic addiction and the time I spend with my wife and kids. My family inspires my work; and both must be enveloped by music, as that was my first big love and still plays an important role in my life.

lyttle photographed the Mercedes Cl 65 aMG in Chicago for the Moofe data base, specializing in High Dynamic range pictures (2007, above); the Nissan Micra in Barcelona for the egraphics/tBWa adverstising agency (2007, left)

optical quality and a camera back with a large pixel count and high resolution. Stability and reliability are also important factors, since most of my photo shoots take place outdoors – in the most diverse and extreme conditions.

Carl lyttle is a Hasselblad Master because he manages to couple his perfectionism with a high level of individuality and diversity. That’s how he manages to create photographs both com-mercial and expressive – images that are static and monumental, or cinematographic and dynamic, but always impressive.

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Carl lyttle went to Death Valley in the Mojave Desert where he staged the “Man on the Moon”

for Microsoft (2003, right); on an assignment for Getty Images in a swimming pool in South africa’s

Cape town (2006, far right)

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Brilliant, colorful, impressive – these stunning close-ups by

Norwegian fashion and beauty photographer Morten Qvale grab your attention.

He took the pictures with the new H3DII-50.

catcher eye

PHotos: MorteN Qvale

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open (previous page) or closed (left) – eyes photographed by Morten Qvale leave a rather hypnotic impression. Make-up artist Amar Faiz is responsible for the powerful color scheme and the outlandish special effects (next page)

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Morten Qvale does nothing in half measures. In his youth, he discovered a passion for kayaking and trained twice daily for two years, finally winning silver at the Norwegian championships. Qvale’s approach to photography is similar, he seeks to be involved in every aspect of the creative process – not just one. His journey to photography began in a roundabout way back in 1983 when Qvale produced Tique the first ever Norwegian fashion magazine, and worked with the best fashion photo-graphers of the time. It was the perfect place to learn all about photography and effective lighting. His passion aroused, he let the masters teach him everything they knew about the medium’s technological and creative aspects. In 1986, he was finally able to include his own fashion series in Tique. “My photographic training was extremely expensive,” Qvale says with a laugh. “One of the high-lights was Bill King shooting with Isabella Rossellini. He was a fashion photography great.”

Since then, Qvale has sold Tique and is dedicated to photography full time, doing fashion shoots with such famous models as Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christensen and Agyness Deyn. To put the new H3DII-50 to the test in studio conditions,

Qvale – who normally works with an H3DII-39 – opted for beauty and fashion shoots. Together with tal-ented make-up artist, Amar Faiz, he took a series of pictures with brilliant colors and sharp contrasts. “I decided to use a strong light source, so I opted for a Broncolor flash with a conical snoot. The harsh light gave the col-ors the stark brilliance I was looking for,” Qvale explains. In contrast to the radiance of the make-up, he was concerned about keeping a natural skin tone – something that can be very problematic with digital images, especially extreme close-ups.

For the beauty shots, Qvale got so close that you can spot the tini-est particle on the eye-shadow, each individual eye-lash, and every spar-kle on the lips. Despite the extreme proximity, the H3DII-50 had no dif-ficulty dealing with the skin tones. “The harsh light I used and the angle of the light to the face, allowed me to produce stark contrasts and shad-ows. In the past, the dark parts of the skin presented a problem even for analogue cameras. The H3DII-50, however, manages to rise to the challenge pretty well,” Qvale reports. It is precisely the interplay of contrast and shadows that provides the tension and intensity of his beauty shots.

The make-up used in these pictures is very much in line with the current Zeitgeist, yet Qvale’s photographs taken with the H3DII-50 also have a timeless and classic aesthetic quality. Curiously, the half-nude shots came about quite by chance. “Tabitha is a model with a beautiful body,” Qvale raves. “But she’s rather tall, which meant that some clothes were too short for her.” Consequently, Qvale decided to use the clothes somewhat differently – and Tabitha agreed: the model was photographed only par-tially covered, resulting in lovely half-nude black & white pictures.

eye catcher

Hair: Takeshi Cato using Bumble and bumble products. Make-up: Amar Faiz, Liz Martin/Naked. Models: Ulrikke/Heartbreak, Linnea Hellbom/Mikas, Tabitha/Models 1 Dress: Ruggiero De Santis. Photo assis tants: Thomas Qvale, John Kerlefsen, Janne Rugland, Truls M. Qvale. Studios: Zone 5 Studios A/S, Snap Studio/London. Digital artwork: Valentina/Happy Finish

www.mortenqvale.no

MoRTeN QVALeNorwegian photographer Morten Qvale was born in 1957 in Drøbak, a little town about 40 kilometres south of oslo. After training as a graphic artist, he turned to business. In 1983 he started up Norway’s first ever fash-ion magazine, tique, working together with some of the worlds most famous fashion photographers. In 1986, Qvale increasingly picked up the camera himself and finally turned to freelance photo-graphy. His works have been published in, among others, Vanity Fair, Elle, FHM, and Men’s Health. some of his commercial customers are oscar de la Renta, IBM, sony Ericsson, l‘oréal, Garnier, Ricco Vero, Elixia, synsame, Damas Jewellery, David An-dersen and Max Factor.

Qvale could well imagine including some of them in his next exhibition.

Morten Qvale was delighted with the results of the H3DII-50 photo shoots, as well as the camera’s speed. Having learnt so much from others, he’s also happy to pass on his passion and technical know-how to others: for the beauty shoot, Thomas Qvale was among his assistants; for the fash-ion shoot, Truls M. Qvale. These are Qvale’s sons, both clearly focussed on photographic careers and just about to set off for New York. If they are anywhere near as committed and ambitious as their father, they are bound for success. Qvale, who considers the constantly increasing standards of fashion and beauty pho-tography as an incentive to improve his own performance, explains his motivation: “Maybe it’s my old com-petitive spirit that’s resurfacing. As an artistic photographer, I hope to one day produce a picture that will become iconic.” susanne schmitt

Morten Qvale captures model tabitha in a series of timeless, classic photographs. she looks great with or without a top, immortalised in black & white

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