Digital Photo Pro article: Stepping up to Medium Format

dpp-mediumformat_1In the July/August issue of Digital Photo Pro, which is on newsstands right now, I have an article entitled, “Stepping Up to Medium Format,” which details my adoption of a new medium format rig. As is made clear in the article, I have not converted 100% over to medium format capture. I still use my Nikon DSLRs for the majority of my work but I have added the Hasselblad H5D 50c WiFi kit along with four lenses for those situations that don’t require wicked fast autofocus or lighter weight cameras. Above and below are a few screenshots of the article as it appears in the magazine. If you are interested in medium format, especially now that Hasselblad has announced the X1D, I highly suggest picking up a copy of Digital Photo Pro.

I know many will ask, why would an adventure sports photographer opt for a heavy, slow medium format camera? The answer to that question is a long one, and part of that answer was addressed thusly: “While testing out cameras over the last year there were several factors that made me seriously consider a medium format digital camera system. First, whether you are shooting on medium format film or digital, the larger image format gives a different look to the images. In part, this is because there is significantly less depth of field than with 35mm DSLRs. That shallow depth of field, created by the larger sensor of a medium format camera, helps isolate the subject when shooting portraits or any time you are using a large aperture. This is not to be understated. Medium format has a certain look that is quite different. I realize that only a small percentage of clients will be able to see that difference, but for those that can (or even if they can’t), if it makes the viewer look at the image just that much longer then it makes the image more successful. As I am already working with discerning clients who are looking for the best image quality possible, this new acquisition is another tool I can use to keep those clients and find others like them.”

Along with the article, Digital Photo Pro also included a healthy number of images to show the wide variety of action, landscape and lifestyle images I have produced in the six months that I have had the camera. I have to say that in such a short time I have already produced some amazing work – work that I look at and really love, which is not always the case with my own images as I am a very harsh critic.
DPP-mediumformat_2I will be shooting quite a bit with the Hasselblad in the months to come and will be posting that work on my website and also on Instagram. At some point here I will make some huge prints of images captured with the H5D and also with the Nikon D810 and do a comparison.

My thanks to Digital Photo Pro for publishing this article.

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