09.04.2021 Fernando Moleres

GFX 50R "More than Full Frame" x Fernando Moleres

Fernando Moleres

Bilbao 1963. For more than 25 years I have photographed current affairs related to human rights. Some of these stories, such as child labor exploitation or minors in jail that should be abolished or, at the very least, persecuted. Documental photography is, for me, a life-affirming attitude, a tool that lets me approach situations that captivate me, preoccupy me, and make me want to participate. Moreover, as photographer. I work and delve into subjects that transcend present time, but intrigue me for their experience and expose me to other types of lives. Being a freelancer lets me work on personal projects over a long period of time. My photo stories/archive are distributed by photography agencies—Panos and Laif.

Prizes & Grants

  • -Tim Hetherington Grant 2012. World Press Photo and Human Watch Rights
  • – Lucie Awards 2012, Deeper Perspective Award. Los Angeles, USA.
  • – Moving Walls 2012, “Juvenile in prison. Sierra Leone”.
  • – World Press Photo 2011, ” Juvenile in prison, Sierra Leone”, Daily life series.
  • – POY. Picture of the Year 2011. World Understanding Award. USA
  • – 8th Festival Images. Leica Prize. Vevey. Switzerland 2011.
  • – Finalist W. Eugene Smith Grant. N.Y.C USA 2011.
  • – Luis Valtuena International prize 2010, Spain.
  • – World Press Photo 2002 , Burning Man in Art , series.
  • – W. Eugene Smith Grant 1999 ( 2* prize) . New York.
  • – World Press Photo 1998. ” Child labour” in Daily life series.
  • – Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation Grant. Sweden 1996.
  • – International Prize Juan Carlos King of Spain. Spain 1995.
  • – Mother Jones Grant. Los Angeles, USA 1994.

Books                  

  • – Child Labour, Published by: Peliti (ITA), Braus (GER), Acte Sud (FRA), Lunwerg (ESP). International edition by OIT
  • – Uomini Di Dio (ITA),
  • – Images de la Foi ( FRA),
  • – Lives of Devotion (USA &CAN) Published by Rizzoli International,
  • – Hombres de Dios Published by La Esfera (ESP)

Exhibitions        

  • – Moving Walls 2013. New York City and Washington
  • – Festival Images . Vevey Switzerland. Sept. 2012. Juvenile in prisons, S. Leone
  • – IVAM (Art Modem Museum ) May 2012. Juvenile in prisons, S. Leone
  • – The Saatchi Gallery, London( feb-2012) collective, Child labour
  • – The Sunday Times Magazine 50th Anniversary Photography Exhibition
  • – FotoEvidence Gallery, NYC, Oct 2011. Juvenile in prisons. Sierra Leone
  • – Newseum, Washington April 2011. Juvenile in prisons. Sierra Leone
  • – Visa pour l’image. France. Sept. 2011, Juvenile in prisons, Sierra Leone
  • – Expo Photo Month Krakow Poland. June 2008 ,Child labour
  • – Fundación Telefónica- Ayto Lima. Peru. May 2008, Child labour
  • – Caja Canarias, Tenerife, Febr. 2008. Exodus in Rwanda 1996
  • – Side Gallery Newcastle-England Oct-Nov 2005, Child labour
  • – Dunkers Kulturhus, Helsinborg Sweden January-Marz 2005, Child labour
  • – Noordelicht Photofestival, Holland 2003, Child labour
  • – Gallery Dupon, Paris. May-2003. Ethiopian Christians
  • – Museum of Pilgrimage, S. Compostela, Spain. 2002, Ethiopian Christians
  • – Photo festival de Honfleur. Francia. Mayo 2001. Child labour

The Barceloneta Project

La Barceloneta is my neighborhood in Barcelona, 20 years ago; I moved here to live in this beautiful city and to be closer to the Mediterranean Sea.

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

La Barceloneta has always been a very traditional neighborhood, with its life linked to the sea, now this urban landscape is struggling with transformation. Barcelona was put on the world map with the 92 Olympic Games and the city changed. The neighborhood closest to the sea, with its beach open to the city, was chosen by new people, like me and people from Europe and others from very different cultures. Today it is a mix of people from many parts of the world converging on its beaches.

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

Now you can say that two very different worlds coexist, the locals and the foreigners who decided to move here. They are like water and oil that coexist without mixing. Both worlds share the same public space, but in different ways, and this is how I reflect it.

GFX 50R & GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

The Barceloneta project has been made with the GFX 50R camera, ideal for a work with a certain discretion and maximum quality. The lens chosen at the beginning of this work was the zoom lens GF32-64mm and to finish this project it has been the Fujinon GF45-100mm zoom lens that has allowed me to work with an angular lens, and also, to use this lens as a short telephoto, decisive for portraits. With just one lens, I was able to cover all the focal lengths of this final part of the project.

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

GFX 50R & GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR

Lens Report Zoom Lens GF 45-100

For me this lens is the perfect lens. I am a documentary photographer that most of my photographic work is done in a range of focal lengths from 35mm to 80mm (in 35mm full frame) so this GF45-100mm lens is perfect for me. My main lens in my time as an analogue photographer was 35mm (full frame).

GFX 50R & GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR

The short tele, which could be the 100mm focal length, is ideal for portraits. The stabilizer of the lens allows me to take very acceptable pictures at the long focal length like 100mm with incredible speeds like 1/ 15′, and with complete guarantee of sharpness at 1/30′. This allows me to go to work without a tripod, except when I want to do special effects with long time exposures.

GFX 50R & GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR

Now the best thing about this lens is the extreme quality in its sharpness, range and tonal color. In portraits, I can use the open aperture 4 to get a very interesting bokeh. This lens at its maximum F4 aperture has supreme quality in the center and corners, even when photographing subjects on different planes. The confidence in the quality of the F4 allows you to shoot at higher speeds.

GFX 50R & GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR

The combination of this lens and the GFX 50R camera allows you to achieve results that are unachievable by even the highest priced SLR cameras.

With the GFX 50R camera shooting at high sensitivities like 1600 / 3200 ISO, in more compromised light situations, is a privilege in sharpness. Attached is the sharpness and color tone in this portrait shot at 1600 ISO and a speed of 1/40 sec. A spectacle.

GFX 50R & GF45-100mmF4 R LM OIS WR