Creativity Strikes in Isolation

Exposure Center
Photo © Markus Klinko

5 minute read

Creativity Strikes in Isolation

A passion rekindled in quarantine inspires a creative still life series, a challenge in lighting, and a comprehensive test of GF80mmF1.7 lens

Stuck at home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, world-renowned celebrity photographer Markus Klinko found his way back to his original passion — music.

Though most well-known for his iconic images of stars such as David Bowie, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, Klinko had built a successful career as a classical concert harpist before a hand injury forced him to pivot from music to photography in the mid-1990s.

Twenty-some years later, with rare time on his hands, he picked up an instrument again. This time, it was an electric guitar.

“I really hadn’t played anything since 1994, but during lockdown I decided to entertain myself by purchasing this guitar on Amazon, and I started practicing a bit. It was very nice for my mental health. It felt good to have something to do,” he said.

Quickly dissatisfied by the quality of the guitar he had purchased, Klinko reached out to Suhr, a custom guitar company he calls the “Rolls Royce of guitars.”

“I suggested that they build a guitar for me, and while it would be a wonderful thing for me to play, I would also photograph it. They were fans of my photography, and within months, they made me a beautiful Telecaster custom guitar.”

He then turned to Fujifilm seeking the ultimate image quality of GFX100 large format sensor and GF80mmF1.7 lens, which was about to be released. For Klinko, who never shoots still life, this project would be an exercise in lighting and an opportunity to create unexpected, abstract images.

“The lens is wonderful to use completely wide open with the most narrow, shallow depth of field imaginable. When you look at some of the colorful close-ups of the strings, you see that only a tiny little dot is in focus in the center, right about where you would pluck the guitar with your right hand, and everything else is going out of focus. It creates this wonderful abstract situation, and it becomes a great showcase for the capabilities of that 80mm lens.”

Though the focus of the project was creating with GF80mmF1.7 lens, Klinko used a range of GF lenses and specialized lighting equipment to achieve different effects.

“It was about going really deep, sort of underwater, so to speak, to create this atmosphere that you don’t usually see a guitar photographed in. I was pushing the limits of the Flashpoint lighting and GFX System to create this unusual aspect, this high contrast. It’s both a low light and high light approach.”

Working alone in his home studio, Klinko says he spent days creating different lighting setups and using rigging equipment to capture the guitar at just the right angle.

“Flashpoint allows you to make these tiny, precise l shapes, where I could use one dot of light or one very precise line of light to add just one color at a time. And I needed to have enough space to hold GFX100 right in between all those multiple lights and the guitar that was hanging from the boom. I had to make sure that I could come close enough from an interesting angle, mostly handheld, but sometimes I used the tripod because GFX100 is somewhat heavy depending on the lens you’re using.”

Klinko’s deftness with camera equipment is the result of over 20 years of research and experimentation. He has been a Fujifilm loyalist for the majority of his storied career

“In 1999, I met Brandon Remler, the local New York rep for Fujifilm. He came to my studio, and he brought along this gigantic camera called GX680III. The thing was much bigger than other medium format cameras. I fell in love instantly and started working with the camera and adapting my style to it. It was a hybrid that had some features of large format cameras incorporated. It was an extraordinary, rare camera that Fujifilm had developed in the nineties.”

Even before discovering GX680III, Klinko says he always favored Fujifilm.

“I don’t know why, but from the very first day that I took pictures, I gravitated toward Fujifilm. I did some testing, and I decided it was the best in the world.”

Inside Klinko’s Camera Kit

GFX100 is Klinko’s go-to camera for all situations, and he brings a variety of lenses on assignment.

“There is no other camera in the world that can compete with GFX System,” he said. “It’s the finest way to take photos.”

For his kit, Klinko typically starts with GF63mmF2.8 R WR, a 50mm equivalent lens. He appreciates GF45mmF2.8 R WR, a 36mm equivalent lens as well for somewhat wider shots. Ultimately though, he says there is a purpose for every lens in the system.

“Every lens that is out there for GFX System, including GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro, which is a favorite of mine, GF110mmF2 R LM WR which is a very wide lens, GF80mmF1.7 R WR which I absolutely adore and that I used extensively on the guitar close-ups, and then of course GF23mmF4 R LM WR, I use these constantly and as needed. There’s not really a favorite because none are better than the others. They are all excellent and state of the art. I keep up with competitors, I know what’s coming up, I know what’s classic, and there’s nothing better that money can buy, hands down,” he said.

Gear aside, Klinko’s story illustrates that getting the right shot is often about embracing the present moment and finding creative approaches to unexpected challenges.

See more from Marcus online, on Instagram and on Decrypt Studios.

CREATE/SEND/SHARE

see your image on our Social Channels

Select Your Country Or Region