Stephan Bollinger

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Nikon Super GP

Last weekend I took the brand new Nikon D3s for a spin at the Nikon SuperGP on the Gold Coast. What a camera… pretty impressive, I must say! I will post some hands-on reviews of this amazing new camera soon. Before hand, for more information, visit the Nikon D3s Miro-Site.

Instead of posting just a few shots from the event, I thought, I’ll put a little video together…

Even better, watch it on YouTube in HQ and full size.

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Model Portfolio: Jenifer

On Tuesday I met with beautiful model Jenifer Gallagher, to create new images for her portfolio.
To be quick and flexible on location, I used 2 Nikon SB-900 speedlights, shooting through an umbrella.
Here are a few samples of our day of shooting…

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Studio Portrait Series – Part 4

As part of my “Studio Portrait” Series, here are a few samples of my shoot with professional model Roxanne (Make-Up & Hair by Sally Rutten).

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Studio Portrait Series – Part 3

Last time I’ve been working with Gold Coast model Tara on location, this time Tara came to visit me at my Southport studio. Here are a few samples of our shoot…

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Studio Portrait Series – Part 2

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working with beautiful Brisbane model Sammi.  I photographed her in front of seamless black and white backgrounds, using a large octa-bank as main light source. Hair & Makeup by Annie-Claire.

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Studio Portrait Series – Part 1

I have been asked to post more samples of studio & model portraits, so over the next few days, I will post a series of recent portraits I’ve produced in my Southport Studio.

The first one is from gorgeous Gold Coast model Corinne (Hair & Makeup by Annie-Claire).

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Nikon Australia has announced the inaugural

NPS (Nikon Professional Services) member portfolio.

The 2009 NPS member portfolio showcases the exceptional work of Nikon professional photographers, across all genres of photography, including Sport, Wedding, Fashion, Architecture, Portrait, Landscape and Nature. The portfolio is a first of its kind in Australia recognising the work of Nikon photographers. Craig Gillespie (Marketing Manager at Nikon Australia): “The work of our members is absolutely exceptional! The dedication and skill that the photographers display is second to none and we want to acknowledge their achievements.”

I feel honoured that several of my images are featured in this slideshow, and I am especially proud of the fact that my “Verdasco” shot has been chosen to be the freeze frame (and thumbnail on youtube). The presentation closes with my “Day & Night” portrait, which is also very exciting.

You can find the NPS 2009 Slideshow here. Watch it in HD!

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Universal Shift

This week I had the pleasure to shoot images for the cover of Grant Hilton’s new book “Universal Shift“.

Quote from the Back-Cover:
“If you’re wondering about where the world is heading, or where your own destiny lies, Grant Hilton can tell you. A former student of his holiness the Dalai Lama, and the youngest resort owner in Australia, Grant has been both incredibly rich and incredibly destitute. Homeless at 17, he was a millionaire by 25. At 32 he retired and sold all his material possessions. He spent the next five years studying with the Dalai Lama and Buddhist monks. Today he teaches celebrity’s, top businessmen as well as individuals how to create unlimited health, happiness and wealth in their lives.”

The book will be available in August 2009.

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

“Bespoke Bridal Outfits”

One of my assignments in Singapore was to shoot a show-piece wedding dress by German fashion designer Anja Landgraf. The beautiful jewellery is from “The Jewel Box“, and the location is (like the glor designs) the Former Supreme Court, Singapore.

Model: Lisa Clayton, Make-Up:  Candy Low.

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Magazine Feature

The May issue of the Australian Digital Reproduction Magazine features my work on 2 full spreads as well as the cover.

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Small lights, big results

Shooting on location doesn’t always require a truck full of large flashes, battery packs and softboxes. Sometimes less is more, and can achieve a very similar end-result.

Last Saturday, I was shooting Singapore model Jessebella Tan (scary make-up by Suzana Salleh, Singapore) at an abandoned water tower. The location could only be accessed by foot. So the decision was easy: leave the big guns at home, and use Nikon’s speedlights instead. While I packed 4 speedlights, I ended up using only one SB-900 for most of the shots (shooting through an umbrella to soften the light).

Shot above: One SB-900 through umbrella as main light, 2 SB-800 with gels for background
Shots 1+2 below: Only one SB-900
Shot 3 below: One SB-900 as main light, another SB-900 (with gel) for background
Shot 4 below: Behind the scenes

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

The “real” Singapore

When travelling to foreign countries, I always try to get away from the glitzy tourist routes, and find the “real” people. On Sunday, my dear Swiss friend Paul and I found time to leave our assignments behind for a day, and explore Singapore. We thought, China Town would be a good contrast. While “nice”, i must admit China Town reminded me more of an asian version of Disney Land than anything else, kept in shape and run for tourists really, so quite soon we’ve seen enough and stopped at a small restaurant for a (rather huge) bottle of Tiger Beer.

On our way out, we found a small plaza with no tourists, where old men were gathering around little tables, laughing, shouting, arguing, playing board games like “Weiqi” and Chinese Chess. Voila, there it is, the “real” Singapore, brilliant.

Monday, May 4th, 2009

GLOR ‘en vogue

Today, I had the privilege to shoot designs from fashion label GLOR at the beautiful former supreme court in Singapore. Access to this amazing location required an official shooting permission, as it is usually closed to the public. Once granted (and fees paid), we had unlimited access and shot all afternoon. Below are a few samples of our shoot (featuring beautiful Singapore-based model Lyze).

I’d like to thank Anja from STYLEMATES Consulting for the opportunity, as well as Candy, our  fantastic make-up & hair guru.

To find out about GLOR: www.glor-me.com

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Female and Nuyou
Longest Orchard Catwalk ‘09

Yesterday, I was invited to shoot at the Female and Nuyou Longest Orchard Catwalk ‘09 on Singapore’s famous Orchard Road.

The Female and Nuyou Longest Orchard Catwalk ‘09 (organised by SPH Magazines) is Singapore’s longest catwalk, and was held to kickstart Orchard Reloaded, a brand positioning campaign by Orchard Road Business Association in partnership with Singapore Press Holdings, and supported by Singapore Tourism Board.

Over 70 international models presented the latest fashion from DKNY, GAP, Banana Republic, Jimmy Choo, Diesel Blackgold and Coach. This is the seventh year that the two leading Singapore fashion & beauty magazines – Female and Nuyou – are holding their signature catwalk collections event. Following the success of last years event at Changi Airport, yesterdays 163 meter long catwalk along Singapore’s busiest shopping belt, Orchard Road, has clearly set yet another milestone.

A big Thank You to the entire team from SPH Magazines for the friendly invitation to your fantastic event!

SPH Magazines Online: www.sph.com.sg
Female Magazine Online: www.femalemag.com.sg

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Pokernight

On Tuesday I met the Rock-Band Engin Room at the “Boardroom” Gentleman’s Club in Southport (which was closed for the night), to produce images for their new website and upcoming Asia Tour. We went for a “PokerNight” look, and also produced some performance & stage-backlight shots.

Here are a few samples…

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Out of the dark, into the light!

How many good photographs are stored somewhere deep in a
fancy organised folder structure on your hard drive? Will they ever see light again?

Over the last 27 years, I have been shooting over two hundred thousand photos. What happens with them? Of course, the photos shot on client assignments, for model projects, during sporting events or wedding have been processed, delivered, and invoiced. But what with that photograph of the sweet green frog you captured on your last bush walk, or that one specially sweet image from the TFP shoot you did 2 years ago?  Aren’t photographs meant to capture moments in time so we can share them? Instead of having them sitting on our hard-drives, we should start to print them again! Because…

Photos just look better on paper…

the bigger, the better. Even sharing photographs on websites and blogs is nice, but nothing really compares to an actual print. For me personally, I much prefer to hand over a “real photograph” instead of sending files by email. Somehow printed images are more “valuable”, have more weight, are more “important”.

And then there is the next level: Published photos. People you never met see your images, and your “creations” are seen in a different context, become part of a product, a book, a magazine, a story! My first photograph was published in Switzerland a long time ago, but I still remember the day as if it was yesterday. It was very exciting and I was a very proud 18 year old. Since then, photos of mine have been published in Europe, in the USA, in Australia and in Asia, in newspapers, magazines, on cd-covers and books. And just like 24 years ago, I find it very exciting every single time one of my images find its way “out of the dark, into the light“.

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Quiksilver Pro

As promised last week, here are a few impressions from the Quiksilver Pro Surf Championships.

Gear: Nikon D3X, Nikon 600mm F4.

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Day On The Beach

While shooting events like the surf championships, I love to turn the camera away from the official action once in a while. I like these “behind the scenes” shots, they complete the story.

Here are a few of these impressions from the  Quiksilver Pro event: Two boys following the action from a wall, a camouflaged photographer (click to see the entire image), a boy eager to learn how to surf, a surfboard ready for action and a happy dog, sprinting up and down the beach, following the surfers in the water…

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

Roxy Pro Surf Championships

Over the next few days, I will be shooting at the Roxy Pro Surf Championships on the Gold Coast.
Here are a few impressions from today’s competition…

Gear: Nikon D3X, Nikon 600mm F4.

Friday, March 6th, 2009

D3X goes Surfing

Over the last few days I’ve been shooting at the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro International Surf Championships at Duranbah Beach and Snapper Rock, Australia (I’ll be sharing some of the shots from these events in a separate post).

For these events, NPS (Nikon Professional Services) have sent me a brand-new Nikon D3X, to try out…

If you’re a Nikon Insider and know your cameras, you might ask: “Why use a D3X for sport?“. The answer is easy: “To truly test a camera, you have to push it to its limits“.

The D3X has produced amazing images in the studio, 24.5 mega-pixels with impressive colours and contrast. This makes the D3X a brilliant candidate for studio work (fashion, still-life etc) as well as landscape photography. For sport however, the D3 is faster (frames per second) and has a better high-ISO performance, and for any night shoot, stadium- or indoor event, the D3 remains unbeatable. For a day event however, the extra pixels of the D3X can produce amazing results, and as I rather anticipate the moment than to shoot in burst, I had an absolute blast shooting with the D3X today. The amount of spray, water drops and fine detail i was able to capture during these surf championships is simply astounding.

Is the D3X worth the price tag? I guess, if you ask this question, you’re probably not the right candidate for this camera. If you are a pro fashion shooter, you’ll have this beast paid with the next assignment, and you will enjoy the advantages (and ease-of-use) of a DSLR with the resolution of a medium format camera. For me personally, the D3 remains my favourite as an all-around body, however I must admit, I am very impressed by the details this camera captures!

I’d like to thank Robert and his team from NPS (Nikon Professional Services) Australia for their continuous support. You do a terrific job, and I truly appreciate it. Thank you!

Photo above:
Shooting at Roxy Pro. Photo by Mohan Mali (website).

Photos below:
L: D3X test shot: “Moon” (Gold Coast, late afternoon)
C: Explaining the feature of the D3X at Quiksilver Pro (Photo by Mohan Mali)
R: Another photo of me at Quiksilver Pro (Photo by Mohan Mali)

Gear: Nikon D3X with Nikon 600mm F4, Hoodman Loupe (hanging on Manfrotto Tripod), and – very hightech – a no-brand towel for sun protection (not fancy, but effective).