Today’s interview features a skilled photographer and digital artist, Frederico van Zeller. He shot a lot in film where he slides mostly and miss them a lot to the extent that he gets the anxiety of waiting to see if he had the right exposure just to capture the right moment and the right pose of the model. Now, let us ride on and be inspired with his works!
When did you start working in digital photography?
It´s hard to say, before digital I worked with film, from medium format to large format like 8”/10”. Shot everything on slide, and it was simply beautiful. But I had a problem when scanning it. The lost of detail and depth was something that really annoyed me. It was always a battle between the scanner and trying to save the quality printed on a huge slide. So working digitally I´d say from my beginning 1993/95. I always shot thinking that I would eventually have to transfer all that data to a digital format! But the around 2002/2003, the first serious digital medium format backs arrived, and since then they have been my only way to shoot.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Nothing! really, nothing!, because it´s a learning process, a self training of the eye and visualisation capabilities. Experience, and trial and error are part of the process, the more you fail, the more you learn. Its the process of failing and doing everything again that makes you mer experienced. It´s all about experience and work, and the some talent!
What type of camera do you use most? Why?
Mostly I use medium format cameras, I have a Mamya 6×7 and a Leaf AFi, both with a digital back. Form my type of work, it makes sense, I prepare a lot for my sessions and shoots, and both these cameras have excellent quality! Recently I got a Sony A7, just to go along, and I´m very happy! I´ts my vacation and family camera!
Could you share a favorite recent image and tell us a little of the back story behind it?
I´d have to choose this image! These guys are an advertising agency!!! and the invited me to shoot them for their identity! I had no ideia that this would be the outcome. The just called me out of the blue and we spent an amazing day shooting them on several locations,. This specific image was that last of the long day. I guess if we had models to do this, the end result would not be better. The acted so well on their characters, that I was convinced this could be a scene from goodfellas!
Leave a Reply