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19 January 2012 » Skiing with a Hasselblad

Chinese New Year holiday is just around the corner and, instead of traveling to some remote destination in China as I have been doing for years, later this week I will be going skiing in Dolomiti, Italy. You will probably ask why the sudden change, especially given the fact that I am as good at skiing as at, say, ballet (the list of things I am not good at is too embarrassingly long, so we might as well skip this part). Generally, late January is not the best time for photography in China; more crucially, whatever photographic opportunities there might be at this time of the year, the fun is always ruthlessly tarnished by hideously strained transportation and accommodation options during the period when no one in the Middle Kingdom thinks of work and half of the country is on the move. Instead of experiencing the torture again, I decided to take a break and spend the time elsewhere. When one of my best mates mentioned skiing in Italy, it seemed far from the worst possible option.

Location of Arabba, Dolomiti, Italy

The plans have actually been in the making for over two months. My initial intention was to spend some time with close friends in an environment that does not distract you with the usual daily noise of our established routines. As I looked closely at where we were going, though, I realised that the place is very engaging visually, and the photographer in me quickly became in charge of the preparations. In my mind, the trip for the most part became a photographic expedition, and skiing became a means to the photographic ends.

Photographically, the main question was which camera to use on the trip, because I knew I would not be able to bring my complete Hasselblad V series system as I always do on dedicated photographic expeditions. A mirrorless camera such as the Fujifilm X100 that I was using two months ago, or the Olympus EP–3 that I have now, seemed like a perfect choice for a trip of this nature: on the one hand, it is small and light and thus would not impede sporting activities; on the other hand, image quality is good enough to produce high quality photographs. Indeed, mirrorless cameras are intended for such situations, and I bought both the X100 and the EP–3 with such trips in mind.

As I continued visualising how I would use the EP–3 on the trip, a nagging feeling that something was amiss about this approach started eating me up. After pondering the issue for a while I realised that I am just not a middle ground photographer. In my opinion—and I realise that this is a very idiosyncratic view—anything truly worthwhile photographing deserves to be photographed with the best camera that you have, which is the Hasselblad in my case; for anything else a compact camera such as the Canon S95 is plentiful. Middle ground cameras do not seem to work for me, and I am still figuring out if, or how, the EP–3 has a place in my photographic work.

Now, this notion is not about what cameras can be used or are sufficient for what purposes—if used with care, even the Canon S95 can produce images of very high quality; for one thing, a couple of images I took with the S95 have been published. Rather, this is about intent: if I intend to primarily photograph, I am going to do my best with the best camera that I have; otherwise, I will just carry the S95 and be a happy camper. I am not in favour of being neither here nor there, and it is not my habit to have middle ground intentions.

One can argue that you never know what photographic opportunities you might encounter, and that, if possible, one should have various cameras to be able to capture any and all compelling shots he comes across. I, however, do not believe in preparation for anything that might possibly happen by having overabundant technical means. Being prepared to encounter photographic opportunities is a state of mind, not a matter of what kind of camera, or how many cameras, you carry with you. Just as I can do without zoom lenses, I can do without a dozen cameras that fill every existing category of cameras. It really comes down to my ability and preparedness to see, not just look.

Once this realisation hit home, and when my friends told me that I should ideally bring a small to mid–sized backpack anyway, I decided to use the Hasselblad with the S95 again, albeit the former will be in the shape of a rather basic kit: one camera, one film back and "only" three lenses: 80mm, 150mm and 250mm. To make skiing with the kit feasible, I had to buy yet another camera bag—you know, the type where the lower part serves as a camera bag and the upper part serves as a regular backpack. Very strangely, camera backpacks of this kind offered by the major brands that I checked are designed to carry DSLRs only; they are not internally configurable to accommodate a Hasselblad V series system. I ended up buying a cheapo Benro camera backpack, which was the only suitable option—I hope it will not fall apart on me!

The next question was that of camera support. I normally use a Gitzo GT3530LSV tripod with a Kirk BH–1 ball head, but it clearly would be way too much for skiing. At first I thought I would use Fujifilm Provia 400X slide film and shoot handheld, which is how I have been photographing the old Shanghai series, but the notion of intent reminded me that I also happen to have a Gitzo G1197 tripod with a KangRinpoche NB3–A ball head, which is much smaller and can be attached to the side of the Benro backpack without causing too much inconvenience. Below is a snapshot of the Hasselblad mounted on the big Gitzo, and the S95 mounted on its smaller sibling—you can see why I do not want to dance ballet—sorry, ski—with the big tripod.

Size, indeed, matters

Mounting the Hasselblad on the small Gitzo tripod is quite a bit of a stretch, but I tried it a few times in the past and the combination is actually perfectly usable provided you tiptoe and whisper around it.

Far from ideal, but workable

As a side note, you might have noticed that the big tripod does not have a central column, and that I changed the central column of its small brother to a short one (unfortunately, it cannot be completely removed). Over the years I have learned that using a central column is amateurish and, well, just plain detrimental. It adds instability, weight, and inconvenience of tripod handling; it also does not allow putting your camera close to the ground. And this high price is paid for the very questionable benefit of raising your camera a bit higher (which, if necessary, should be done by extending tripod legs). Ever since I bought the GT3530LSV I do not remember missing central columns even once; in fact, I only recollect thinking how wise it was to get rid of them.

Aside from the comment on central columns, the above reflections and assertions are mostly theoretical, of course. I have no idea how it all will work in the field, and it is possible that I will have to eat my words later. Given that this is a real possibility, I am taking a few rolls of Provia 400X in case skiing with a tripod turns out to be dangerous or impossible; I am also bringing the EP–3 in case the whole idea of skiing with the Hasselblad turns out to be cockamamie. I will let you know how it all goes after I return—stay tuned!

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