For sure white flare is better !

In Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA) we had again more flare photos with all sailors arriving  in Vendee Globe. Mich Desj did well with a lot of flares which is better for us photographers. 

So all sailors used more than one time flares, which is a great progress , giving us more chance to catch up with quality that difficult photo. All newspaper and magazine used these sort of image.

I am glad Dee Caffari (GBR) used white flare. You can have a clear idea what I was telling in previous post. On top of white flare we had been lucky as Dee arrived to pontoon at sunset , and that day was ending with a nice orange-pinky sky. 

©Th.Martinez/Sea&Co.

16 Feb 2009 , Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA),  Dee Caffari (GBR) with a big smile and white flare as boat arrive at Vendee Globe race pontoon. 

I took that photo with my favorite camera , Canon 1DS Mark III with the magic lens 600/4 mm ( I nearly do half of my production with that lens) camera was set : Tv, 1/500, F:4, 250 Iso .

Flare light is strong so lightmeter automaticly under expose image.  Note that light on Dee's face look natural and not red . I shoot only Raw images, so it's a bit easier to edit images on computer. Not sure result could be that good if shooting with jpeg.

Earlier , Dee also with white flare , and day light. Same camera :

Canon 1DS Mark III, Lens : 300/2,8 mm, Tv : 1/350, F: 5,  flash push +1/3.

©Th.Martinez / Sea&Co

2 days before, Sam Davies (GBR) crossed the finish line by night, and used flare ( red flare, as you can see on image below). Sam arrived at low tide and have been waiting outside Les Sables port  before coming in.

©Th.Martinez/Sea&Co

14th february 2009, Sam Davies (GBR) arrival. 

Camera : Canon 1DS Mark III, Lens zoom 70/200 2,8 Manual 1/125, F: 9 , Flash on (normal). You can notice flash effect on boat's name but not real effect on Sam's face.

More images of Vendee Globe arrivals on: Sea&Co server  

and: my website

Feel free to do comments...

Red flare or white flare , that is the question...

For his second victory in Vendee Globe (Solo sailing  round the world race non-stop without assistance) Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) have been very good with us.

He have used flare , again and again, during 45mn his "FONCIA" was on tow in Les Sables d'Olonne fairway. 

150 000 people were on bothside of quays . 

What a great moment.

It's part of magic of Vendee Globe. No much sailing race provide a big welcome as Vendee Globe finish do in Les Sables. It will be nearly the same for all competitors coming back after their "world tour"

On the photographic side, to catch the atmosphere is not an easy one. 

Flare are made for safety, and are very very powerfull light. Red flare are not very good for quality photography, as the red added at strong light , nearly burn the image.

1 Fev 2009 Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA)

Normal image ( a bit hard to calibrate) NO flash.

1 Feb 2009 Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA) 

Photo with 2 layout , superposition, one B&W and normal color one. No flash.

It's hard to balance the natural skin and  keep the red ambiance. 

This time I tried to work with 2 layout, one normal and the other one in Black and white. and mixed both images in one. result is not bad but not good as a photo with flash light on face.

I was not able to use flash as our photo boat was more than 5 meters of Michel ( between 15 and 30 m).

It's what I did in 2001 when Michel Desjoyeaux won Vendee Globe. 

As I was his team photographer, I have been in the best position possible to do the photo, and Mich helped me a lot , looking at me . I was around 4m from him  and flash was strong enough to balance the strong light of red flare.  

I got only one image! (see below) 

Not much but enough to get front page of "L'Equipe" the day after. 

10 Feb 2001 Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA) 

Michel Desjoyeaux , winner of Vendee Globe on "PRB" (red flare + flash)

When Ellen MacArthur (GBR)  succeed in  Solo Sailing Round the World Record ( on trimaran "B&Q / Castorama")  she did a fantastic arrival in Falmouth (UK) the morning after crossing the finish line off Ushant (FRA). 

Her communication staff make a nice move, providing Ellen ( should say Dame Ellen, sorry Ellen ;+) some white flare!

Big difference, very very big difference, for us  photographer.

by day or by night  no problem with burn image ( white don't burn like red do).

it's make a nice yellow colour on people, but photo it's much easy to make  (see image below).

8 Feb 2005 Falmouth (UK) 

Ellen MacArthur arrival back in UK after breaking solo round the world record. (White flare) No flash

We should suggest to race organisers to provide a lot of white flare to sailors celebrating ( winner or not) 

It's a strong image as champagne celebration.

White sunrise

3 feb 

After few days in Les Sables for Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) victory in Vendee Globe, nice surprise this morning, to see a white blanket on Locmariaquer. On top, sunrise what interesting, so in 1 hour I did a tour by the Golfe du Morbihan by foot, and came back with some unusual images of my village. In 13 years, it's second time I  saw some snow.

Magical pixels....

I found on the  blog  of my great friend Maria Ryan , this image.

You could tell me, yes, it's just one of millions photos made that special day  of  American President Barack Obama's Inaugural address.

No it is not a simple photo ! It's a very very special one.
American photographer Davis Bergman compose that image with 220 files of photos made with a Canon G10. Camera was clamped on a GigaPan Systems which is a revolutionary robotic camera mount. the final size of file is 1,474 Go. All 220 files are assembled with Gigapan software. 

Fantastic result!!!!

Please, click here so you could see that exceptional image and zoom in.

Thanks Maria for your blog. it's one of my favorite. 

New gallery , in Locmariaquer.

New step for me. 

After 13 years based in Locmariaquer I decided to move to a new step.
I have now my own gallery / office which is next to church and port (easy to find).

It took me a long time  to decide and set up my new base. I did not wanted to move out of Locmariaquer. Small village by the Golfe du Morbihan, I really feel home there when I come back from anywhere on the planet.

Beginning of August I have openned and moved in a new office with window.

It's now possible for me to show some different photos that the one published in magazines.

Underwater photo, Cities by night, Birds, and non sponsored boats.

Photos are print on high quality printer, on canvas or paper ( on aluminium)

If you pass by Britanny, come to Locmariaquer. Gallery is open when we work in office.

As I spend a lot of time "on the road" you will probably meet Anne , my great assistant.

To be original or to copy....

I have been doing photography as a professional for many years . When I started I have been very lucky to meet and to be friend with some of the best photographers in Sailing . From the beginning I always had a very high respect of the job of my collegues. To be photographer is not always glamour as public think, but I do not want to do something else. I love photography and specialy action sailing photography. During my second Whitbread in 1993/94 I met Carlo Borlenghi (ITA) . He is and have always been one of the top guy in our job. I learnt from him so many trick and have shared a lot with him, all around the planet. I would like to think he is one of my best friend. One thing we have in commun is passion for quality, and the quest to THE photo. 

I remember a trip we did together in 1997 during Whitbread Stopover in Fremantle(AUS) To Sydney. We had spent a week in Syndey (sharing hotel room, car, food, etc...), working non stop from sunrise to sunset, with one mandatory thing, we should have an Italian meal per day which is not very hard in Sydney. It was just after Sydney got 2000 Olympics games. We never copy the other one, even doing photos of same places at same time.

Few years ago, as we were both in Sydney for Sydney to Hobart race, we have ordered a housing each for our Canon 1Ds mark II. Carlo had since a long time an idea of photos from water surface , playing with wave. The guy we met in Sydney ( from Aquatec) have been very surprise by Carlo idea to connect a video camera on view finder and be able to see image trough a pair of very special "sunglasses" 

 My way was not the same . I had more interest to do onboard photos in wet condition with flash, remote control ( Multihull, AC boats, etc...). And never I will have do the same photo than Carlo. 

I am sad to see so many sailing photographers to simply copy day after day what Carlo had in mind an do since a long time . Part of our job is to be creative, NOT to copy ideas from an other photographer. 

It's obvious when you buy a wide-angle lense or a 600mn you can  have photography which look similar to  somebody else using same lenses.

But why just copy and do the same than an other photographer ? I do not see the value.

In writers world or music world Copy is called plagiarize. No journalist will copy a style or do a copy/paste of somebody job. So why some of my collegue don't have more respect for other original ideas? 

Sydney Opera and Harbor bridge at sunset - 24 Feb 2006

When I was Alinghi team photographer , I have been asked in Valencia to copy Carlo, and do photos with waves as Carlo do. I have always said no. Not I was not able to do the photo, but it was an idea devellop by an other photographer, and did not want to copy him. An other photographer did it for the team , and it was not Carlo. The Team should have asked Carlo to do it, but in AC world it was not possible for Carlo to work with us ... so the team should not have that image.

How can we value our job, if we do not have respect between us. Competition is a big part of our professional life, so guys, please respect yourself and other. I do not think it's fair to copy .

To buy all equipment do not make you a photographer. 

Am I stupid? Possible but for me respect is more important...

Back home , for few days only...

Round the Island Race - Isle Of Wight -UK

Since last post I have been on report nearly all the time.

Audi MedCup had started,so I am busy. On top The Transat start in Plymouth, Shoot for BT , Archipelago raid ( one of my favorite report every year) and Now just back from UK where I did Round The Island Race for organisation (Thanks Lucy and Jo, I love that event.) and spent a long week in Weymouth -UK for Moth World.Waiting wind to calm down... (Only 2 days racing on a week)

That Class is still the same even with a double size entry list. I wish new "foilers" will keep same spirit which make the success of that brilliant class. Fight hard when sailing on water ( as a gentleman) and share all trick and fun onshore before and after racing. 

Next Year Moth World will be in USA and I will do my best to be there. I got a great help and Welcome form every body at the Academy. Thanks George , your team and all volonteers . 

Next will be Puerto Portals MedCup from Sunday. 

as the same time since Dec , I am folowwing renovation of my new office. Hope it will be finish next month. will say more about it soon.

Moth World in Weymouth-UK.