Fotos With Friends
Fotos With Friends
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Stefano Gattini, Sharon Green, Carlo Borlenghi. America's Cup Series, NYC Stefano is one of Carlos' team at Studio Borlenghi. |
 America's Cup Bermuda, 2017 |
This month’s image is a credit to Carlo Borlenghi – one of the foremost marine photographers in the world.
Now you may be wondering, how and when we started featuring other photographers in the Ultimate Sailing Calendar?
As many of you know, I came up with the concept of creating the Ultimate Sailing Calendar, and launched the first edition in 1983. For years I traveled the globe, searching out the ‘ultimate’ venues, yachts and composition of sea and sky, light and action. It has indeed been the ‘ultimate’ career!
One such assignment was in 2005, when I was commissioned by Philippe Kahn to photograph the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Sydney. It was a fantastic event: the Farr 40s were the hottest class at the time, and were (and remain) very photogenic! Several of my colleagues from all over the world were there too, including Carlo.
It was a thrill to be there, but I was gone almost 12 days. At the time I was a single Mom, and my kids were still very young. I started questioning myself, ‘If so many other photographers are there, why do I need to go? We’re all on the same photo boat, shooting the same angles, in the same conditions …’ And I started brainstorming. I could potentially get a lot more variety in the calendar – more events, more locations, some running simultaneously – without having to clone myself!
But the questions remained: would I possibly lose my identity, and the dynamic of the calendar?
These were questions we pondered while Allyson Bunting and I were skiing at Mammoth, shortly after. Allyson is a key member of the Ultimate Sailing Team: a long-time friend, fellow photographer, and a graphic and computer guru. We tossed the idea around on our favorite Chair 23, as we went up and down that mountain … and ultimately decided to give it a try.
What a huge relief! The decision to delegate a portion of the shots has had so many benefits. The inclusion of different photographers, with their unique styles and skills, a variety of events, classes and locations around the globe, brought a great revitalization to the Ultimate Sailing body of work. While I focused on curating the calendar, the pressure was off for me to be on the road and away from home so much. And when I did travel, it was for the assignments and venues that were most important to me. (I still shoot the majority of images in the calendar!)It was 2006 when we first incorporated other photographers into the calendar, and it has been a blast ever since. Most photographers have a special focus, or location where they shoot. They may concentrate on dinghies, onboard shots, underwater housing, America’s Cups, Olympic classes, match racing, foiling cats, the Volvo Ocean Race, etc. – or a region: like South America, the Med, Europe, Australia, so on.
But not Carlo! Carlo is everywhere, and is an icon and legend in our field. We call him the Godfather. He is a true artist with a very unique style.
He sees things differently: photographing reflections in windows, very tight (close-up) clever compositions; he was the first to do different horizons, and use an underwater housing. It is always refreshing to edit his work and when we’re at the same event, it’s a real treat to get to work with him. In addition to his talent and dedication, he is always so happy, and hard-working.
For instance, we were in Newport, Rhode Island for the J Class Worlds, at the time of the solar eclipse. We were just coming in after the races and were at the dock, but Carlo was determined to get a shot with the sun and the moon. He toiled and tried different ways to capture the image – all while the eclipse’ clock was ticking – and ultimately captured it with the aperture three stops down, using a 100-400 lense and 2D filter. He just doesn’t ever quit!
© Carlo Borlenghi /J Class
This April calendar image of Freya at the Rolex Swan Cup is an example of his enthusiasm and perseverance. You can see, and almost feel, the power of this massive 90-foot Swan as it roars through the beautiful waters of Virgin Gorda. And Freya proved both visually stunning, and victorious. Winning three of four races in this series, she now boasts victory in the Swan Cup on both sides of the Atlantic.
© Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
We are already eyeing some of Carlo’s images for the 2019 calendar, which I’m editing now. Stay tuned!!
Also in News
Where in the world?
UPLIFT, DOWN UNDER
Love (and the iQFOiL) is in the air
Don’t you just love the new Olympic Class iQFOiL windsurfer? This super-sonic fleet featured in the February pages of the 2024 Ultimate Sailing Calendar will makes its Olympic debut at the 2024 Games: bringing a whole new level of excitement as they fly around the racecourse!
+About Ultimate Sailing
Sailing is a magnificent, colorful and dramatic sport. This unique sport has many variables with the constantly changing elements, sea conditions, boats, events, competitors and locations. The challenge is to capture on film electrifying moments that take your breath away. Those moments and opportunities are very few, but when they happen... it is ultimate sailing." ~ Sharon Green
Sharon Green has been capturing electrifying images of performance sailing for more than 40 years. Her annual Ultimate Sailing Calendar, featuring the highlights of competitive sailing, is eagerly anticipated by yachting and photography enthusiasts worldwide. Sharon has been published in major boating publications, both locally and internationally, since she first took up a camera while still in high school.
The pursuit of 'Ultimate Sailing' images never seems to grow old. Four decades and I still love the challenge of creating memorable images for my clients and the calendar."
Sharon is happiest when she is on the water or hanging from a helicopter in search of the elusive image that can be called 'Ultimate Sailing'. "My greatest satisfaction is when it all comes together: the anticipation, planning, organizing, traveling and epic conditions that combine to create a thrilling photograph.
The passage of time eludes our grasp: we can only look back in awe and look forward in anticipation. Never did I expect, 40 years ago, that my vision of creating the Ultimate Sailing Calendar would endure and provide such an extraordinary life experience. boundless advancements in sailing, and concurrently radical developments in camera and photographic technology, have kept me on my toes and the years have swept by! I find myself at this landmark anniversary: humbled by your patronage and inspired by your support. To my many friends, colleagues, clients, and subjects who have sustained and fueled this endless passion for capturing the ultimate Sailing image, I extend my deepest love and gratitude.
View the images by clicking the 40th button
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