Table of contents for V72 Issue 5 in Pro Photo

In her article for this issue, our business writer Rosemary Ann Ogilvie brings up an issue I’ve covered a few times on this page over the years – namely how do we promote professional photography to an increasingly challenging marketplace. Rosemary is suggesting a few ideas for individuals, making the most of the potential avenues in social media, but there is a wider concern that’s never really been properly addressed. Ever since George Eastman came up with his affordable rollfilm cameras for the masses, photography has become progressively more accessible and familiar. The digital revolution has taken it a lot further, putting very complex – and thus highly capable – cameras in the hands of anybody who wants them. In technical terms, these cameras deliver exceptional results at the push…

Following on from the 2K XC10 launched in 2015, Canon’s new XC15 professional video camcorder shoots 4K and Full HD video and is aimed at a range of professional users including news gatherers and independent documentary film-makers. It’s equipped with a 10x optical zoom and new features include a microphone adapter with dual XLR inputs, faster autofocusing with face detection and auto tracking, and a 24 fps ‘film look’ frame rate for cinematographers. Canon says the XC15 is also capable of performing as the B-camera or C-camera for film productions due to its ability to record with Canon Log, providing 12 stops of dynamic range as seen in the Cinema EOS C500. The camera records 4K footage in the Ultra HD resolution of 3840x2160 pixels at either 25 or 24…

Canon’s dedicated video camera system – Cinema EOS – has a pair of new flagship camcorders in the forms of the EOS C700 (in EF or PL mount versions) and the EOS C700 GS PL. Both models record 4K video in the Cinema 4K resolution (i.e. at (4096x2160 pixels) at 60p or 50p internally (at a bit-rate of up to 810 Mbps); or 4K RAW at speeds of 100 fps (or 120 fps in NTSC) for slow-motion effects. 4K RAW files are recorded to the optional Codex RAW recorder. 2K video can be recorded at up to 200 fps for super slow-mo footage. Specifically designed for shooting fast-moving subjects and action scenes, the EOS C700 GS PL is the first Cinema EOS camera to have a global shutter. The modular…

It’s grown into the world’s biggest food photography competition – there were over 7000 submissions from around the world this year – and ProPhoto editor Paul Burrows was one of the judges.  A joyful shot of a baker having fun with flour while making bread taken by British photographer Mark Benham has been judged the overall winner of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer Of The Year 2016, the world’s leading celebration of the art of food photography and film-making. Mark was presented with the £5000 grand prize (around A$10,000) by Andy Macdonald who heads up Pink Lady (of the Australian apple variety fame) in the United Kingdom The announcement took place in front of an audience of 400 guests at a glittering Champagne Taittinger reception – packed with…

 The professional lighting market is no longer as clearly defined as it once was. For starters, there’s a lot more choice, including speedlights in multi-head set-ups and continuous lighting, the latter now especially popular thanks to LEDs (and because digital cameras allow for white balance correction). Consequently, the ‘traditional’ studio lighting sectors of monoblocs and power packs face more competition than even before. The positive outcome all-round has been more design innovation, particularly in terms of taking monoblocs out of the studio setting and onto location… even to very remote places. “An array of three green LEDs on the battery’s top edge provide a visual indication of the power level which is a simple, but effective, arrangement.” Compared to a speedlight, the flexibility of a battery-powered monobloc is undeniable with…

A lot of wish lists are showing a lot of ticks after Canon took the wraps off its much-anticipated fourth-generation EOS 5D. Not surprisingly the Mark IV model inherits quite a bit from the flagship EOS-1D X Mark II, but there’s also some new features to make this camera much more of a capable all-rounder for both photographers and film-makers. The Mark IV’s styling and size is very similar to those of its predecessor, although it’s a little lighter and smoother looking overall. Incidentally, in Australia at least, the Mark III model continues at least until the middle of 2017. The Mark IV’s pricing is closer to that of the EOS 5DS so the market for the Mark III is likely to remain strong for the time being. The Mark…

While the much-anticipated GH5 has yet to materialise, Panasonic has added another higher-end model to Lumix G range of mirrorless cameras. The G85 slots between the current GH4 flagship and the G7, and is specifically targeted at enthusiast-level users and higher. Panasonic says the mirrorlesss message is starting to make greater inroads into these sectors, especially for applications where a lighter weight camera kit is more desirable. The G85 is an SLR-style camera (as opposed to the RF-style GX8) with a weather-sealed magnesium alloy bodyshell, built-in EVF and the availability of an accessory battery grip. A key feature is an upgrade of Panasonic’s body-based ‘Dual I.S.’ image stabilisation which provides up to five stops of correction with lens focal lengths up to 280mm (35mm equivalent). In conjunction with the lens-based…

 It’s 7.00am in a trailer park in Clinton, Missouri. Photographer Ingetje Tadros stands amidst the detritus of broken televisions, discarded furniture and rusting cars that are features of the park’s unkempt landscape. Dogs are barking hysterically. Suddenly a trailer door swings open spilling light into the gloom silhouetting a man in his early twenties. “Shut the fuck up!” he screams. Tadros catches his eye. “Who are you?” he snarls. “Who are you?” she replies boldly in English that is heavily laced with her native Dutch accent. She steps forward and introduces herself. “Every picture tells a unique story made possible through the access that she has, access that comes through an extraordinary investment in time and the building of trust with each member of the community.” This was how Ingetje…

“To stand out, photographers need to offer something nobody else can… and the only way they can do this is to have their own distinct voice and vision.” Some of the greatest changes ever to take place in the photography industry have left its members reeling as they come to terms with the new reality of shrinking traditional markets and limited new opportunities opening up to take their place. The rise of digital imaging on many fronts is the reason behind this upheaval, with one of the major culprits being the advent of smartphones with reasonable-quality cameras, which means that everyone with a phone in their pocket is now a photographer. However, the differentiating factor is that not everyone has a photographer’s eye – an asset that counts more than…

While it isn’t designed as a pro camera, Canon’s new EOS M5 mirrorless model is significant because it finally shows some serious intent in this category. The M5 is essentially a mirrorless EOS 80D – so it’s most definitely an enthusiast-level camera – but is significantly more compact and lighter. It’s built around a 24.2 megapixels (effective) ‘APS-C’ CMOS sensor coupled to Canon’s latest-generation ‘DiG!C 7’ processor. The sensor employs the ‘Dual Pixel CMOS AF’ architecture which delivers phase-difference detection autofocusing with 80 percent frame coverage. The EOS M5 also has sensor-based image stabilisation with five-axis correction. The M5 has an OLED-type EVF with 2.36 megadots resolution and 100 percent scene coverage. The camera’s large 8.1 cm LCD monitor is actually the same panel as is used in the EOS-1D…

If you were inspired by some of the tasty images which won this year’s Pink Lady ® Food Photographer Of The Year competition (see elsewhere in this issue) then why not have a go yourself? After all, nothing really goes together quite as well as photography and food. The 2017 competition is now open for entries and has some new judges and two new categories. “Who would have believed,” observes Andy Macdonald, Managing Director of Pink Lady® Apples UK, the headline sponsor, “… that, in just six years, we have seen the Awards develop into such an amazing international event, with hugely qualified judges from the world of photography and food, and from all corners of the globe wishing to be involved, all of which demonstrates the importance of the…

It’s a sign things are getting really serious over at Sony as the company announces the introduction of a support program for professional users of its top-level Alpha cameras and lenses. The Sony Imaging PRO Support Program is now available for eligible Alpha photographers in Australia, enabling them to access a premium level of servicing and support. This mirrors the professional services already offered by both Canon and Nikon. The benefits and privileges of the PRO Support Program include a dedicated telephone line and email support manned by an Australia-based tech support team of digital imaging specialists; an expedited, three-day turnaround on repairs for products within the warranty period; free shipping to and from the service centre; a 20 percent discount on parts and labour for out-of-warranty repairs; emergency loan…

Current to 16 October: Exhibition. Tough And Tender. Images exploring youth, identity and relationships; and including works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Nan Golding, Larry Clark, Collier Schorr, Chris Burden and Rozalind Drummond. At the National Portrait Gallery, (NPG), King Edward Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600. Gallery hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm daily. For more information telephone (02) 6102 7000 or visit www.portrait.gov.au — Current to 26 October: Exhibition. Wildlife Photographer Of The Year. One hundred images from the finalists and winners in the 2015 edition of the world’s biggest wildlife photography competition which this year attracted 42,000 entries from 96 countries. At the Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW 2000. Entry is $20 which includes admission to the museum’s permanent galleries. Museum hours are 9.30am to…

As Profoto continues to expand its family of professional lighting products with TTL auto exposure control, what’s most surprising is that it remains the only brand offering this feature. True, the company now has patents in place to protect its technology, but the bottom line here is very much the bottom… it costs a huge amount to develop TTL control protocols and, so far, nobody else appears willing to make the considerable investment. So perhaps it’s only fair that Profoto reaps the rewards of its commitment with hot-selling products. Both the Profoto B1 and B2 have revolutionised remote-location photography, bringing the convenience of a speedlight to professional-level lighting products… respectively, a monobloc and an ultra-compact dual-outlet power pack. Both the B1 and B2 not only offer the convenience of TTL…