Joseph‑Philippe Bevillard is renowned for blending medium-format film photography with digital tools in his long‑term documentary work.
Here's a breakdown of his gear:
Film: Hasselblad Medium Format
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Hasselblad medium‑format cameras and lenses:
Bevillard has used these since at least 2009 to capture square-format black‑and‑white environmental portraits. His work on Irish Travellers began in black and white with these film systems. The most iconinc Hasselblad cameras were the Hasselblad 500C/M or 503CW.
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| Hasselblad 500C/M |
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| Hasselblad 503CW |
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He prioritizes detail and authenticity — often including the film border in his prints to mirror what he sees through the viewfinder.
Digital: DSLR or Mirrorless with Wide-Angle Zoom
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After losing a bag of film gear on a train in 2018, he continued documenting with a digital camera.
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He mentions using “a short wide-angle zoom lens and a fast 8 frames per second option,” ideal for capturing spontaneous, candid moments
Why This Hybrid Approach?
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Film for its texture, depth, tonal range, and the meditative, deliberate pace it encourages.
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Digital for responsiveness, speed, and convenience — particularly for color work and capturing fleeting moments
In Summary
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Medium-format Hasselblad + B&W film → traditional, high-resolution portraits.
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Digital camera + wide-angle zoom (8 fps) → dynamic color documentary work.