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Olympus Lens Masters
Morten Hvaal relies on the Olympus E-3 for his gripping reportage work
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Hamburg, January 2008 – Whether appearing in Time Magazine, The Economist or on CNN, Morten Hvaal’s award-winning reportage photography never fails to rouse an audience. With more than 20 years of experience with numerous camera makes and models, Morten hails the Olympus E-System as the most reliable system available. Now, he’s taken the Olympus E-3 for a test drive to see whether it upholds the standard. |
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| ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-60mm at 60mm 1/350sec. F6.7 |
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ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-60mm at 12mm 1/500sec. F69.5 |
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| ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 35-100mm at 42mm 1/20sec. F2 |
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ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-60mm at 12mm 1/125sec. F13 |
After a childhood spent travelling the world – and some fateful sessions with his father’s camera – Norwegian-born Morten Hvaal took to professional photojournalism. Since 1982, he has covered conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world – assignments which drew him to the robust and reliable E-1 as well as the rest of the Olympus E-System.
Most recently, Hvaal took the E-3 – a camera he dubs the ideal working tool for his field – for a spin. “I depend on my photographic equipment to be rugged and reliable so that I can get the pictures I need when I need them”, says Hvaal. “The E-3 has several unique features that make it possible for me to put cameras where I normally could not have put them. Live View – with an articulating screen – essentially turns the entire world around me into a tripod that steadies the platform for photography and gives me more possibilities”.
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The OLYMPUS E-System and OM-series are extremely well suited to what I do. Documentary photojournalism, often in hostile environments can be hard on cameras and photographers. I need a rugged, reliable, compact and lightweight camera that produces excellent image quality. The E-1 has proven to be such a camera. At half the size and weight of its competitors, with excellent lenses, environmental seals that work and very good ergonomics it doesn't just look good in brochures, it helps me get the job done in the field. I haven't mentioned the sensor dust-removal system yet, simply because it hasn't crossed my mind. I have dragged my E-1s through some of the dustiest places on the planet, changing lenses whenever I felt like it. I have never cleaned the sensor, and I have never seen a single speck of dust on any of my photographs. |
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In my more than 20 years in photography, I have worked with just about every make and model of camera. The E-1 almost seems to have been designed specifically for what I do. Olympus have made the right choices, and created a classic.
Vita:
Born in Norway in 1963, Morten Hvaal grew up travelling extensively all over the world. His interest in photography started as a teenager when his father let him use his camera. After starting by opening the camera and ruining his fathers photographs, he improved somewhat, and became an award-winning international documentary photographer, writer and filmmaker. Since 1982 Hvaal has covered mainly conflicts and humanitarian crises all over the world. He is represented by World Picture News.
Career highlights include:
Several years of international assignments for The Associated Press.
Published in many international outlets, including: Time Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, Der Spiegel, Stern, Paris Match, Economist, BBC, CNN, and most major newspapers.
Exhibitions in Paris, London, Oslo, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Gothenburg, Milan, Maputo, Kampala, Cape Town, Bangkok, Copenhagen and New York.
Founding member of the Board of Directors of the Media 19 Foundation.
Clients and collaborators include:
Nobel Peace Centre. Member of the planning committee.
United Nations Children痴 Fund, UNICEF.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.
International Labour Organisation, ILO.
Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR.
In his projects he has been focusing on HIV/AIDS, women rights and war.
www.mortenhvaal.com |
