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Joseph-Philippe Bevillard

 

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

  • 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.

Hasselblad 500C/M

Hasselblad 503CW


  • 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

  • After losing a bag of film gear on a train in 2018, he continued documenting with a digital camera.

  • 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?

  • Film for its texture, depth, tonal range, and the meditative, deliberate pace it encourages.

  • Digital for responsiveness, speed, and convenience — particularly for color work and capturing fleeting moments

In Summary

  • Medium-format Hasselblad + B&W film → traditional, high-resolution portraits.

  • Digital camera + wide-angle zoom (8 fps) → dynamic color documentary work.


Have you seen his “Mincéirs” series or read his monograph? 

He’s received awards in major competitions like LensCulture, PX3 and published through Skeleton Key Press
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