AS SEEN IN

Fashion Photographer Alban Christ and the L45s
By William Littman
Sep 1, 2003

Alban and I met in South Beach exactly ten years ago, neither of us would have imagined that 8 years later we would meet again at the NY PHOTO EXPO PLUS, or that I would be making a camera for him that would greatly influence his work. My camera was being shown live to the general public for the first time, which was probably the longest summer of my life. After years of research and development, I was ecstatic that finally I could have a chance to recover the investment. But on September 11th the world changed, and for 2 months NYC came to a screeching halt. Then as if out of the ashes came a new resolve, and on October 11th American PHOTO article featuring Bruce Weber had hit the newsstands and was introducing this camera to the world. The NY show was a great success, and allowed me to gather the strength to continue.

Now we meet again over a NYC coffee to discuss the design of a new 2nd camera for him and a few galleries of his pictures. We will soon publish a second fashion gallery of his work after the stories are in print by some of the leading fashion magazines.

Knowing that few owners of the L45s have contributed their comments, I decided that I wanted to interview one of them to see in-depth a panoramic and holistic opinion of the camera and how its use had influenced a career.

WL: Alban, its been almost two years, you have emailed me several times since then and I have posted your comments on the (owners comments+) page on my site but because your comments were so positive I decided to take a closer look at your work. I'm most curious about the landscapes, I mean do you shoot them with the ground glass or the rangefinder

AC: I do both when I'm in a rush. I use the Rf and when I have the time, I use the ground glass as I like to check the composition, but in the end I use both, after I can't tell in which ones I used the glass. Also, sometimes I use them simultaneously as thru the rf you see life as it is in 3D, and thru the glass you see it flat as it would be in print.

WL: That speaks highly of the RF /vf option for this use. I had no idea I only shoot people and would have thought like most people that there would be a difference in the results. I'm positively surprised after seeing your landscapes, to use them in a new gallery on my site.

AC: for the most part I could use the rf only, but sometimes when I want to be extra precise and sure about it I like to check.

WL: Ok but with a 4x5 neg, ultimately it doesn't matter if you need to crop a little, and after all, if you can't tell the difference, most people would rather know that they can get such nice pictures without having to take the extra time.

AC: I agree

WL: Beyond nuts and bolts, I have a personal question. You have been a photographer for a long time and used many different cameras. I'm curious to know if incorporating the L45s into your work for the last two years, has as it been a mild change, has it been positive, how would you say it has affected you as an artist?

AC: I have felt more creative. I feel my work has been enriched by the camera. When I use it, I feel I have no limitations. On the other hand, when I use the Mamiya RZ I feel limited to what I see is a projection. I'm not looking at life directly. It is also much heavier, and that is limiting too.

WL: Most people would think that seeing exactly what you get on the ground glass on the RZ would allow you to be more creative?

AC: No, it allows you to feel like you're watching TV, it may be professional but it's not as creative and you are not surprised when you see the Polaroid or the film comes back. I feel more creative when I see things in 3d. While I can move and still have good composition and focus, but also I feel this camera is less of a wall between me and the model. I don't feel like it's a camera but a machine that is an extension of myself as an artist. I see things as they truly are.Then when I decide to press the trigger on your camera, it becomes like a painting/drawing machine, which gives me in return an improved version of reality. When I pull the Polaroid's, everybody on set always says it looks more real than reality, it isn't flat, there is a depth unlike anything else I've seen.

WL: yes but you have also used another view camera and focused thru the glass, how does that compare?

AC: The tech quality is appreciated, but adding the freedom to move while you shoot is what makes your camera a total package, plus the speed graphic is heavier and not pleasant to use.

WL: Yes, everybody shoots with slr's, or checks everything thru a ground glass. I have too, yet in the end, it is not bad to be positively surprised. After all, if everybody shoots with them, few get results
like Testino or Meisel, so perhaps being surprised from time to time can be helpful.

AC: Exactly, it's a less rigid way to work, and therefore, you can capture those moments. The results are magic, allowing you to try things you normally wouldn't. It's also a more private thing as there is no ground glass, and the clients have to trust your choices. When the Polaroid comes out, it's a good feeling. The models feel special because it's not the same old let me tell you something. You won't know what this camera can do until you work with it, and after you do, you never want to go back. If it was up to me, I would use it on all my jobs.

WL:Do the models like It more or less?

AC:they think it's really special,and they feel more special when they are photographed with it, as they think you care more. Once on a job, I shot 2 girls, one with your camera and the other one I shot with the RZ. She felt I thought she wasn't as special. When the girls see the Polaroid's they flip out. Sometimes they are a bit confused because they are used to hearing the click of the curtain, and here there is no sound.

WL: Trust me, that is the best thing that you have going. First of all, fashion is not spontaneous to begin with, and if the model doesn't know when you click you are more likely to get more and more spontaneity.

AC: That's true too.

WL: I get requests from people who insist they would like to rent it first to see what it can do, and I always insist that I feel that would be a good approach with an slr because it's a more controlled way to shoot. In the case of the L45s, you have to be willing to do what you did as I suggested 2 years ago, jump in with both feet and have the willingness to be surprised over time by buying it.

AC: Yes, but why would renting it first make a difference?

WL: People usually insist that my comments apply to the photographer not the camera. It's all about the photographer, and as you confirmed, the less the camera is in the way the better. This as you have seen is a new way of photographing that takes time to get used to, a hotel bed, a rental car, a rental camera, are all things which in my opinion, apply to occasions when one needs a service and lack commitment. A great camera is like an old shoe, and it takes time to get like that, but it only gets like that after you own them. It make take a day or it may take a year, but it has to be yours first before you can be willing to get comfortable. If you ever had to wear rented tuxedo shoes you know what I mean. You've committed, you've succeeded, and like most who have used them, you want another one.

AC: I See.

WL: how would you summarize the improvement to your career from using the camera?

AC: its hard to explain. The work looks more real. It's not as flat as with the RZ. I mean the RZ is sharp, but it lacks the depth of your camera, and the resolution makes it more real and it is less flat. If I had to summarize it in a sentence I would say it is the freedom of movement + the freedom of art combined. When I work with it, there is nothing that stands between me and the subject. The camera is not interfering as a barrier. It's more intimate and the pictures show that.

WL: It's a brighter day for me after spending so many years of my life to create it, when someone like you confirms my theories, thank you Alban for making it all worthwhile/bien fait.