The Hasselblad Studio, conveniently situated in central London, was the ideal place for Italian photographer Daniele Barraco and his beloved H4D-40 to meet up with the legendary Sir Tom Jones.
"Honestly, I had imagined Sir Tom Jones as a person would be rather bashful and reserved," says Italian photographer Daniele Barraco of his meeting with the legendary Welsh singer at the Hasselblad Studio in London. "However, I was surprised to meet someone who had such great charm and humility. He even performed a few dance steps to a reggae song that was playing in the studio."
Barraco chose his regular kit for the shoot, a Hasselblad H4D-40 with 120mm, 80mm and 50mm lenses, and he worked with his favourite Rembrandt lighting, a technique that guarantees the photographer technically impeccable results despite working conditions that are often complex. It's not unusual for Barraco to find himself shooting against the clock backstage or in hotel suites prior to concerts or important interviews and yet still being expected to come away with images that have great emotional impact. The pressure of working in this way has allowed him to perfect the skill of getting the shots he wants quickly.
"When you're fast everyone is happier and when they see the result that I've managed to obtain in such a short time they are often speechless," he says. Barraco's ability to work at speed meant that even though he only had around 20 minutes to take his picture of Tom Jones he was able to get what he wanted and still have time for a relaxed cup of tea and a cookie with the singer at the end of the session before he had to go.
For Daniele, much of the success of this shoot was down to being able to work in the Hasselblad Studio, which is centrally located in the district of Hoxton in London. The venue has first class technical back up and is fully equipped with lighting, backdrops, changing facilities and rest areas. "I have worked in many photographic studios around Europe and have never found a place so well organized and managed by people who have been so helpful and friendly and yet so highly professional," he says.
Barraco is no stranger to photographing famous names. Amongst the stars who have been in front of his camera are Christopher Walken (see video), James Blunt, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Brian Molko of Placebo, Maceo Parker, Pierfrancesco Favino, Eugenio Finardi and many others, and he also photographs 'ordinary people' that he finds interesting. "I love photographing people," he says. "I love their eyes, their skin and the wrinkles of a face, and my photographs are produced in a very democratic way." No matter who they might be, famous or not, all of Barraco's subjects are treated equally, both to ensure consistency of style and also because people are always the undisputed protagonists in the photographer's eyes.
"The photographic portrait for me is tied to the feelings and the interaction between the subject and the photographer," he says. "It's a silent language recognized by both that, if in tune, can make the shoot really special. It's a kind of mutual respect for one common goal".
From about a year Daniele has used Hasselblad cameras and in his opinion there is nothing better in terms of quality, construction, technology and pure aesthetics. His current camera is an H4D-40, and he's been particularly impressed with the True Focus technology that it boasts. "I would feel lost not having this camera around," he says. "It's the perfect tool and if I didn't have it with me it would miss all the fun!"
ABOUT
Daniele Barraco was born in Italy and travelled throughout Europe for years as a musician in a band. While music might have been the way he first expressed himself artistically, from an early age photography also had a big influence. In particular he was attracted to people's faces and the stories that might lie behind the billboards and magazine covers.
Inspired by his experiences in the darkroom and the purchase of his first SLR at the age of twenty, he eventually decided to devote himself entirely to photography and to pursue a career as a professional once he had completed his commitments with his band. Today he likes to call himself a "Webtaught," one of the first photographers to emerge from a culture of shared Internet information.
Barraco prefers to produce black and white portraits because, for him, this represents the origin and essence of photography. He also feels it's the approach that has the maximum power to convey emotion. His portraits are characterized by a strong visual impact and a classic sense of composition. Because of these qualities he is in huge demand from celebrities who are just desperate to be immortalized by the photographer and, of course, his trusty Hasselblad!
www.danielebarraco.com
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