Daniel Stier is a veteran UK-based photographer with more than 20 years of experience under his belt. His work encompasses advertising, editorials, travel, portraits and personal works that are displayed in galleries and photo festivals. Daniel’s clients include Nike, Sony, VW, Budweiser, Harvey Nichols, Wallpaper W Magazine, Guardian, Dazed & Confused, Another, New York Times Magazine, GQ and many others.

Daniel recently took a Leaf Credo 80 and Mamiya 645DF+ to shoot on location at factories all over Britain. “The environments we shot in were sometimes rather challenging – noisy, wet, dusty and hectic. The Mamiya Leaf camera system was a real treat to work with and made it easy to come away with images of amazing quality.”

Read the full story

The post Down and Dirty in British Factories appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Instead of getting embroiled in the film vs. digital debate, Australian shooter Aryan Aqajani lives in harmony with both mediums. No matter what gear he uses to shoot, he says he strives to convey “a sense of isolation, loneliness, darkness and deep feelings” with his images. This series, Fade to Black, does just that.

Inspired by the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Aryan orchestrated a shoot with elegance and mystery on his mind.

He writes:
“We chose a long black vintage looking dress, which makes a good contrast against a greyish walls of the building. For hair and makeup, again we went for an elegant classic looking style with a modern twist to it. All I wanted to capture was the feeling of being alone, lost in thoughts, longing for someone who is gone now and wondering what the future is going to bring.

I could not use strobes at the location so I should only rely on a gigantic source of light, the sun! Before the shooting day, I researched when the sun would be at the best angle for the look I was after. We arrived on the location at 2pm and started shooting around half an hour later.

In order to separate the model from the building, I opted out for fastest lens that I have in my kit, the Mamiya 80mm f/1.9 N. Although it’s a manual focus lens, it can be used on the Mamiya 645 AFD III and 645DF+ as well. This lens produces a very soft, beautiful, shallow depth of field.

Shooting on a sunny day with a large aperture like f/1.9 may force you to use ND filters, however, I had the privilege of using Leaf Aptus-II 5 with base ISO 25, which made the shooting effortless. After the shoot, I processed the RAW files in Capture One Pro. Lastly, I need to mention that Aptus-II 5 produces film-like files with great tones, dimensions, and dynamic range. Such attributes make it an ideal digital back for my new camera system, Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID, which I use exclusively these days.”

Shoot credits:
Model: Bea Sweet
Makeup/Hair: La’Tecia Thomas

See more of Aryan’s work on aryanaqajani.com. Connect with him on Facebook and Flickr.

All images and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Ayran Aqajani, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or re-post elsewhere without written permission.

The post Aryan Aqajani’s Fade to Black appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Sean de Sparengo is an award-winning British advertising and portrait photographer. His images immediately engage the audience, blending technical excellence with a startling creativity.

Corner-to-corner sharpness and crisp, clean details lend Sean’s images a powerful impact that cannot be ignored. To achieve his technical excellence, Sean depends on his innate ambition and on his Leaf Credo 80, which he mounts on a Mamiya 645DF+.

“I’ve shot with pretty much every current medium format digital camera system there is, but image quality wise I’ve always been impressed by the incredible natural tones that you get out of the Leaf backs. To my eye, the Credo has a more film-like look to it straight out of the box than any other back I’ve used, and my retouchers always pick up on that. I like the way the middle range of the exposure has so much tonality.

Getting the most out of a Credo 80 means you have to process the files carefully. Capture One software has the best tool set for job. Shooting at 35 asa already means grain-less imagery but then when you need to push the back to say 400 the noise reduction in Capture One 7 is quite amazing.”

One of Sean’s most recent assignments was to capture images to raise money for a Chinese children’s charity. The images were used in a book and an exhibition. His days required seven to eight hours of driving on very rough and dusty dirt roads, often followed by hikes to reach the schools. With altitudes ranging between 3,000 to 4,000 meters and daytime temperatures of 30 degree (Celsius) with -15 degree nights, the project was a challenge both physically and technically.

“On the more physically demanding days I carried just one lens, a tripod and a bunch of batteries. It makes for a really simple setup and the Credo’s high-res screen gave me the confidence to shoot without an external monitor, even at apertures that required ultra-critical focus. The onboard digital level is a real bonus as I’ve never seen a tripod base and head spirit levels that actually agree with each other. Having a very accurate digital level right there on the back makes the initial setup fast and easy.

Live view has been much improved on these new Credos too, making table-top adjustments and focusing much easier than before. I don’t use it that often but I had a project where I used a tilt and shift lens and the faster frame rate made tilting the lens for extended depth of field a real breeze.”

On location, I like to use one of those cleverly converted Peli cases to house a Macbook with an external Lithium battery so I can set up quickly with all the cables pre-routed and then shoot fast while tethered for pretty much a whole day. I was pleased to take the latest Mamiya 120 mm auto-focus macro, which is a stunning portrait lens and probably one of the sharpest lenses I’ve ever shot.”

Read the full story on the Mamiya Leaf site.

The post Sean de Sparengo and Leaf Credo 80 Return to Innocence appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Taylor Tupy is a Minneapolis-based photographer who caught our attention when his behind-the-scenes video for a sandy studio shoot was posted on Fstoppers. We had to know more, so we reached out to him for the full story. Here’s what he had to say regarding the shoot.

In this shoot for Upfront, our goal was to portray the new face of American business. Fresh. Elegant. Female. A beach in Santa Barbara was our inspiration for the setting. The natural beauty. The effortless elegance. We wanted to capture the feeling of the wind off the water, the endless sand, and the treasured moments of being alone, gathering your thoughts and savoring your success.

This presented us with a few unique challenges. We didn’t want the images to resemble a vacation or beach-resort advertisement. It was very important we didn’t create a cliche “girl on the beach” image. This meant we needed total control over the setting, and opted to create a beach of our own inside the studio. Fog and large light sources were used to achieve the tranquil look that we were after.

If you’ve ever been on the road and encountered heavy fog, you know how challenging it can be to see through the mist. Objects begin to lose contrast, and when you shine more light, you are only met with glare. We knew we would encounter a similar situation when shooting this setup, and we needed a camera that would produce a file with as much nuance and dimension as possible. The Mamiya 645DF and Leaf Credo 40 back ended up being the perfect pair for the job. We were able to pull an incredible amount of detail and clarity from the RAW files, and the colors of the sand and dress were rendered beautifully straight out of the camera. The Mamiya gave us a glare free, quality image, every time.

Shoot Credits:
Client: Upfront Productions
Model: Caroline @ Ford NY
Photography: Taylor Tupy
Photo Assistants: Matt Munson & Luke Stockton
Makeup: Kimberly Steward
Hair: Cierra Bailey
Gown: Nicole Miller
Ring: Chanel
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

See more of Taylor’s work at taylortupy.com and connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

All images, videos, and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Taylor Tupy, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

The post Taylor Tupy Shooting Through Sand appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Parisian photographer Robert Jaso specializes in fashion and beauty work. Take a peek behind the scenes of Glint, a glamorous, sparkly, James Bond inspired fashion shoot.

Shooting with his Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID and Leaf Aptus 75S digital back, Jaso uses a combination of strobes and hot lights to create a look that is simultaneously dreamy and sharp as a knife.

See more of his work at robertjaso.com.

Video in this post is used with permission and ©Robert Jaso, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

The post VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with Robert Jaso appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Kent Miller is a commercial photographer based in midtown New York. His behind-the-scenes video of a shoot for Inked Magazine has been making the rounds of photo blogs lately.

Azarja van der Veen is not only the model for the shoot, but also a tattoo artist herself, working out of Shotsie’s Tattoo in Wayne, New Jersey. Kent makes the most of a location with plenty of personality to create photos which both highlight and match the style of Azarja and her tattoos.

The shots were lit using a Broncolor Para88 and shot with a PhaseOne 645 with the Mamiya Leaf Aptus-II digital back.

See more of Kent’s work on his site and tumblr.

All quotes and video in this post are used with permission and ©Kent Miller, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

The post VIDEO: Kent Miller for Inked Magazine appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Gage Thompson is a Utah-based photographer specializing in skateboarding and lifestyle photography. Like so many photographers, we’re a sucker for smokey photos and Gage’s eerie portrait caught our eye.

Gage shot using the Aptus 22 back attached to a Mamiya 645-AFD II with an 80mm Mamiya lens. Of the back, he writes: “As for the Aptus 22 back, I love that thing. It’s still the sharpest sensor I’ve ever used. The files are just amazing to look at.”

Shooting in a dark room in eliminate any ambient light, Gage set up three Profoto Compact 600′s with standard zoom reflectors behind his subject to get some dramatic rim light and to illuminate the smoke. He used a longer exposure of about eight seconds to get the burning cigarette to glow.

“As for the inspiration part of things,” he writes, “I always have wanted to do a photo that included smoke. I just like the way smoke moves in the air and it photographs really nicely. I happened to have a buddy that offered up a great look for what I wanted — buzzed mohawk hair, gauges in the ears, and he also happened to smoke. As for the look, I’ve always been drawn to grungy, edgy, sharp photos. I wasn’t going for any kind of statement I just wanted to make a cool looking photo.”

However, the response to the photo has been divided — some think it would make a great anti-smoking photo while others think it makes smoking look way cool!

See more of Gage’s work on his site and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

All images and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Gage Thompson, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or re-post elsewhere without written permission.

The post Gage Thompson’s Sinister Smoking Shot appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Sometimes you can’t just wait for the right job to come your way, you have to make it happen for yourself. Toronto-based photographer Stephen Caissie recently shared some behind the scenes details of a bridal themed shoot he did as a promo for himself and for the make-up artist.

The MUA was hoping to create a side business for herself doing hair and makeup for brides, and wanted a way to advertise it. I wanted to play with light and warmth and push myself to create something dream-like in its beauty. We found a model who was game, begged a friend for the use of his backyard, borrowed some clothes, and rented a lighting kit.

My workhorse is a Mamiya 645 AFD with a ZD digital back. While it’s somewhat dated, it still produces exceptional images with remarkable levels of detail. Three years ago I decided it was time I moved up from being a hobbyist photographer to being a professional photographer, and I had a choice of either a new Nikon D3 or a used Mamiya 645 with half a dozen lenses. For the kind of images I like to create, I’m glad I went with Mamiya. In a shot like this, where minute details like the beading on the dress, the weave of the fabric and the interplay of light and shadow in the hair are vital, the sensor size makes a noticeable difference.

We got to our location early in the afternoon, hoping to make use of some of the remaining sunlight to use as a hair light, but by the time the model was ready, the sun had already crept too low in the sky, so I had my assistant hold a small Nikon flash above the model’s head as a hair light. The majority of the light was coming from a Profoto Acute pack with two heads in medium soft boxes.

I shot tethered, but because I’m using an older digital back, I had to do a bit of a workaround whereby I used the original Mamiya capture software to transfer the images to the laptop as I shot them, and then used Capture One to monitor the folder where they were being dumped, so I could check focus and composition in something close to real time.

I used the images from that shoot to create a mailer I called “La jeune mariée d’été.” You can see a digital version of it online.

Tech specs:
Mamiya 645 AFD with ZD digital back. 1/45″ @ f/8, 80mm f/2.8 lens. ISO 50, WB flash.

Full credits:
Stephen Caissie, photographer
Alyssa Caron, makeup and hair
Lyuba Bondarenko, model
Hitoshi Murakami, assistant
Ron Telpner, location scout

You can see more of Stephen’s work on his site and connect with him on 500px, flickr, and Twitter.

All images and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Stephen Caissie, all rights reserved; story is ©Mamiya Leaf. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or re-post elsewhere without written permission.

The post Stephen Caissie’s Summer Wedding appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

Join us November 20th for our latest and greatest live video webinar, sponsored by Mamiya Leaf and featuring Dutch photographer Frank Doorhof.

Frank will show how he works with a studio setup, explaining his workflow as he creates stunning, high contrast portraits on location. If you think your studio is too small, Frank will show you tricks that will allow you to maximize the possibilities of any location you work in.

Frank’s approach to teaching is according to his motto “Why fake it, when you can create it”. He strongly believes that if you master your light by really understanding what you’re doing you can be freed of the burden that is holding back a lot of photographers in their creativity. When you understand what light is doing you can manipulate it and start thinking about creating killer images instead of struggling to get the look you’re after.

During the webinar Frank will be working with the new Leaf Credo digital back and will also show you how this back has changed his approach in location shoots. Join in the chat room and ask Frank questions as he shoots live on set.

This will be a jam packed hour that will have you glued to the screen, this…. you just can’t miss.

Join us live by clicking here!

Date:
Tuesday, November 20th

Start times:
1:00PM Eastern
12:00PM Central
11:00AM Mountain
10:00AM Pacific
6:00PM London
7:00PM Paris/Berlin

The post WEBINAR: Medium Format for Fashion with Frank Doorhof appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.

As a previous long-time user of Canon DSLR gear, Volpe wanted to do something different on this personal shoot. “With the recent acquisition of my first medium format camera system, I wanted to use the Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID for something fun and artistic while putting it through its paces,” said Volpe. “I have always been drawn to this camera outfit for its old school charm, but it was more than that. Mamiya’s update to the ‘D’ version, sealed the deal with its ability to pair with a Leaf digital back without any cables. Looking even further into things, I quickly realized the RZ67, designed for a 6cm x 7cm film frame, would yield beautiful images on the DM33/Aptus II-7 48mm x 36mm digital back. Only the best part—the sweet spot—of image circle is captured. Think about it: the right side—historically the worst part—of the MTF chart doesn’t come into play!”

For lighting, Volpe used a Profoto Pro-8a, a Profoto D1 Air, Profoto 1×6 ft. softbox, a Profoto grid and a Chimera softbox.

A model was provided by Look Models in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Gina Osborne of True Beauty Marks provided makeup and hair, and a few local farm markets provided the many, cherries.

Volpe locked up the mirror of the RZ67 Pro IID and mounted it high on a boom stand. It was tethered to Phase One’s Capture One software for instant feedback and tweaking of focus and all aspects of the image.

The post Kenneth Volpe’s Overhead Cherry Shot appeared first on Mamiya Leaf Blog.