All photographers should see this.

I've created a new thread for this, even though I know it will be merged into the Digital Photography thread. But its so special that even analogue photographers like me, might find it a bit amazing.....I sure did.

The guy is Eric Schwabel.

***Eric Schwabel's unique photo project at BM2010. The production funds were raised through a kickstarter.com campaign. ***
Stills were shot on a Mamiya 645 AFD with DM28 digital back. Lights are Profoto Pro-b2 kits with Pro-7 heads.

YouTube - Schwabel does Burning Man 2010

Amazing story, and a lot of fun.

gorgeous

Meh. Try this

You are a B&W fetishist Will
I prefer the colour
Lovely pics

Alright...

Not sure why he needed Mamiya 645AFD.

Meh. Try this

Meh, and this?

you perverts

Meh, and this?

And definitely this!

indeed for the B&W quality

You are a B&W fetishist Will
I prefer the colour
Lovely pics

Not at all. I am an admirer of Martin Parr but not of his doleful influence on people who lack his wit and acerbity.
And the non-color shots are just awful; making everyone in them look like they are part of a Calvin Klein advert.
They may, in some minor way, be lovely but I can't see anything in them beyond style and fun. No verve, pitifully little technique, no elan at all.

Off topic, but Burning Man 2007 is the reason I ride bicycles.

I like dusty neo-hippies, made me 'home'sick

Not at all. I am an admirer of Martin Parr but not of his doleful influence on people who lack his wit and acerbity.
And the non-color shots are just awful; making everyone in them look like they are part of a Calvin Klein advert.
They may, in some minor way, be lovely but I can't see anything in them beyond style and fun. No verve, pitifully little technique, no elan at all.

Fuck them all, and hat off for Jeff Wall.

Because we can't all like the same photography, there will of course be detractors. However, I feel that the photographer was actually going for just the studio-but-in-a-desert look. Yes, they do look like advertising shots, but in the physical and geographical context of which they were made, I view them as a success.

I do commend his ethic of carrying studio lights on a frame strapped to his personage. Its funny, because you think of how his subjects would view him! They must have alll been smiling at the ridiculous looking man. then adjusting themselves to give a pose.

I like that whole concept a lot.

Actually Ga2g you have sort of persuaded me with your second point. Not about the pics, they're not my cup of tea, but his apparatus, I can see what you mean.

I like the idea, but...

1. Why the fuck he needed a medium format body only to put a digital back with a crop on it?
   
2. Why not use a ring flash and reflectors for the same look?
   

why do we need to know what equipment he used? or is that just info for the measurebators?
you know you have hit the big time when an amateur asks "what lens did you use"

I made few people buy CZJ Tessar lens, because they confused Photoshop with optics.

I made few people buy CZJ Tessar lens, because they confused Photoshop with optics.

photos, or it didn't happen

OP

Absolutely fantastic. Great find.

They must have alll been smiling at the ridiculous looking man. then adjusting themselves to give a pose.

He was at BM, he was by far one of the least wacked out looking individuals there, most of his subjects would probably be looking straight through him to the middle distance where the pink and lime green panda sharks were dancing with strobes and tracers coming out of every orifice

I feel so sorry for these 2 taggers.

**£1 fee **
**fucking zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz **

You live lives filled with envy and impotency. I would hate to be you; either of you.

What if it was just one person?

Actually Ga2g you have sort of persuaded me with your second point. Not about the pics, they're not my cup of tea, but his apparatus, I can see what you mean.

Will, have you ever used a twin-lens reflex camera? Many people (including me) have found that a subject is more relaxed, or maybe even quizzical, if the lens pointed at them is not their main focus. The TLR scenario (I find) relaxes subjects by their not being as consciencious of a lens pointing at them. Of course its there, but the photographer looking as if into the ground, when taking the image, is not as threatening. I imagine it would be a similar scenario to those captured in the OP. Looking at a studio light set-up, with a guy struggling under the weight and size of it all, must have been at least a unique, if not a highly diverting experience. Thats my take on it anyway.