Roberto Valenzuela’s FIRST Phase One Image

Originally posted on TAustin Photography Blog – Tyler Austin

There are certain things in life you always dream of. As a photographer, I’ve always dreamed of being photographed by one of the best photographers in the world. Some times, dreams never come true….However, in this case mine did. And I’ll never forget it. Back in April Tyler and I attended Shutterfest, hands down the best photography conference we’ve ever been to. During our time there we had the opportunity to meet, hangout with, and become great friends with yes, one of the best photographers in the world Roberto Valenzuela. The second evening of the conference, Tyler and Roberto were having a conversation one moment, and the next moment, the three of us were planning a photo shoot for the next day in between classes. It was thrown together very quickly, but thanks to all the amazing help we had from Jewels Gray for the flawless hair and makeup, Capture Integration for providing the incredible Phase One IQ250 and Profoto lights, and of course Joe Cogliandro for the extra help with the Phase One, but most importantly the Mike and Ikes (Tyler’s Favorite). It was the kind of thing where everything just worked. Fast forward to now, Tyler and I were very surprised with a very well packaged white box shipped from Beverly Hills, CA. When we opened it up, we were just stunned by this beautiful piece of art that Roberto had created with the retouching help of the extremely talented Rocco Ancora. We now have this beautifully framed in our home and will forever cherish this photograph along with the experience that went along with it.

In Roberto’s Words

“Rachael’s photo shoot was one of those shoots you never see coming but became monumental. We have all been there, we do shoots all the time, we don’t think twice about them. We take shot after shot, but one of those shots unknowingly becomes a career changer! That is precisely what happened with Rachael’s photo shoot at Shutterfest. Capture Integration, a leader in medium format photography solutions had a booth at Shutterfest. I walked in with the curiosity and innocence of a child. I have heard my friend Sal Cincotta speak wonders about the new Phase One IQ250, so I asked Dave Gallagher (CEO of Capture Integration) if I could see one of those puppies. Dave was beyond helpful and took the time to go over every aspect of why Phase One commands the price it does. He told me to take it for a test drive and when I took him up on his offer, my world changed! No longer do you have to choose between exposing for the shadows or highlights. With a single click of that sweet shutter button, you get 14 unbelievable stops of dynamic range. Yes, I said 14 stops! All shadow detail and all highlight detail can be represented in the most elegant and sophisticated way I have ever seen in a single file. It’s not HDR, it’s simply crazy mind-blowing dynamic range! During one of the great evenings at Shutterfest, I was introduced to Tyler and Rachael Austin. Long story short, we all had a great conversation and a photo shoot with Rachael was set for the following day with the Phase One IQ250. I didn’t have much time due to my teaching schedule, so this photo of Rachael was taken in between classes with literally zero knowledge on how to use the camera. I was however, equipped with my posing skills, lighting knowledge, composition tools, and of course, my vision. To my pleasant surprise, the camera was so easy to use, so seamless, and so right, that it did not get in my way of my creative space. Simply amazing! In the minutes that I had to do this shoot, this photograph of Rachael was created. I then sent the photograph’s raw file to who I consider the best editor on the planet, Rocco Ancora based out of Melbourne Australia. Rocco skillfully edited the file, made a master print out of it, and matted the final product. The print made a trip around the world all the way from Australia to Beverly Hills, where I opened it with awe and disbelieve, and proudly shipped it to Tyler and Rachael Austin. I will never get tired of saying, I LOVE MY JOB AND THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY. ” – Roberto Valenzuela