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The days of being either a dedicated photographer or filmmaker and never venturing between the two are long gone. Ben Sherlock is the perfect example of a modern professional with a foot in both camps The hybridprofessional T he tenth anniversary of the launch of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has just been celebrated and it’s perhaps a timely moment he says. “However, this was always difficult with broadcast-style cameras due to the lens limitations and their sheer “The 5DMark III did killer stills and could output HD video”
physical size. So when I encountered the 5D Mark III, I was all in. It not only delivered full-frame killer stills, but could output HD video.” These days, Ben markets himself as a shooter/director/producer. He travels the world as an adventure filmmaker, photographer and director of photography and has, to date, visited more than 60 countries. His role takes him to places such as Mali in West Africa to document ancient religious festivals for the BBC, across to war-torn parts of the Middle East for news and charities, and then off on wild adventures with explorers to the mountains in the north of Iraq. It’s an exciting lifestyle and one that he freely admits would not have been remotely possible when he first started out. “Being someone who offers a hybrid service is perfect for me,” he says. “I love the ability to mix and match skill sets depending on the project. Variety is the key ingredient for me and if I can play with as many different gadgets as possible then that’s the dream fulfilled!
to celebrate the liberation that arrived in its wake that enabled photographers, for the first time, to peer over the fence at the world of filmmaking and to consider joining in. Since that time, innumerable photographers have made the journey across to some degree or other, and it’s becoming increasingly rare these days for anyone wanting to make a viable career in the world of image-making to choose to wholly specialise in stills. Ben Sherlock’s passion for the visual arts started with photography. He was fascinated by the challenge of attempting to freeze an entire story into a single image. This quickly evolved into a desire to explore moving imagery, getting his first taste of serious filmmaking on the back of shooting breakthrough documentary projects with the Canon XF105 and XF305 camcorders almost a decade ago. “I loved these beasts, but was always drawn to the idea that I should be able to film as beautifully as I could photograph,”
ABOVE The latest Canon kit is robust and reliable, perfect for Ben who is drawn to challenging environments.
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2018
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