Barry Makariou graduated from London’s Central St. Martins in 1997 with a degree in Graphic Design, specializing in photography. As a new graduate, he received his first assignment for Mixmag, to do an 8-page fashion shoot. Before long Barry was shooting for such illustrious magazines as Esquire, Arena, and Loaded as well as shooting major advertising spreads for magazines and luxury watch manufacturers. Barry’s graphic design background helps considerably in conceiving the still life shots that constitute most product photography, and he has developed a style that is big and bold but still captures the intimate essence of the product. His work covers a wide range of areas including tech gadgets, mobile phones, watches and fashion accessories, as well as interior, editorial, PR, and advertising work. Barry uses his Hasselblad H4D-40 for a wide range of projects, including his own personal, creative projects, featuring technically challenging stop action shots. “I also use the HCD 80mm and the HTS Tilt and Shift, the latter on a daily basis… I simply could not work without it. It is a must for product shooting.”

Shot by Barry Makariou with the Hasselblad H4D-200MS in six shot mode.

Barry explained for us why he first made the move to the Hasselblad System. “I felt that the 35mm competition were dragging their feet with their next generation gear and I was seeing more and more work out there that was shot with Medium Format equipment, and you could really see the difference in detail and clarity. Today, more than ever, it’s important to be competitive, clients are increasingly able to see the difference between 35mm shots and higher end images.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a Hasselblad. I just never thought that it was possible. For the longest time, I thought that Hasselblad was just not that accessible, that it was quite simply far too expensive. Today, for some reason, it seems that now they are within reach, that they have become more accessible. Maybe it’s their payment plans, maybe it’s value for money, I don’t know, perhaps it’s only perception, but it feels that it is much easier today to get into the system.”

“You get detail with the H System cameras that you just can’t get with a 35 DSLR. If you’re shooting really large scale, wide-angle images, for instance, the 35mm systems are not keeping up really. I can shoot all these really long distance wide angle shots and still get great detail at distance.”

Moving to a Hasselblad System has definitely improved Barry’s competitive edge. “I’ve gotten to a point that I really like, where I hear that clients say ‘we can call Barry on this project or that, because he has this great gear that gets all this detail’. Just that point alone gives me an important competitive advantage.”

Barry does point out a few negative sides to the Hasselblad System, however. “Make sure you know what you’re doing before you try the Hasselblad,” he says, “because once you try it there’s no turning back. Once I had tried the Hasselblad, I just had to have it, no two ways about it. I knew that this camera would bring out the best in what I could do photographically, that it would help me take my shooting to the next level. And once you shoot on the Hasselblad you will never again say that the difference is not worth the price. Of this, I am totally convinced.”

Shot by Barry Makariou with the Hasselblad H4D-200MS in six shot mode.

Barry says that his decision to move to the Hasselblad System was not due to any shortcomings or complaints about the quality of his photography. Quite the contrary; clients were very happy with his work before he turned to Hasselblad.

“Clients never had a problem with my work or the quality of my images before. It wasn’t that. They were quite satisfied. Once I started shooting with the Hasselblad, however, clients started noticing a difference – no, a huge difference – in quality between the ‘before and after’ shots. They raved about all the detail and sharpness. It really is true, people really sit up and take notice. Especially clients! The “Wow” factor is huge… my shots now blow people away… clients are absolutely amazed. Clients are becoming more educated and they know the differences between MF and 35mm digital shots. They have started to ask for the “higher end stuff”. There really are no negatives when it comes to increased detail and clarity.”

We were eager to see what Barry thought about the new Hasselblad H4D-200MS and let him take the camera out for a test run.

“I got the H4D-200MS in June to try out…. It’s absolutely amazing! When you see the 6 shot files for the first time, you are absolutely stunned. No joke. These files are massive and contain so much detail. You really can’t believe what you’re seeing. To be able to get that detail, to see that sharpness, is absolutely priceless. It’s almost better than real life! You see things, in such detail, in your shots that you haven’t really noticed with your naked eye…. You have to go back and look at the subjects, the products, again…. It makes you look at your subjects in a whole new light. Unsurpassed quality! Being able to switch to 50 MS or 50 Meg single shot for motion stuff or handheld with the same camera is also a huge plus, naturally.”

“Of course, it’s expensive, but if you have the money then there should be no hesitation whatsoever. That having been said, all your gear needs to be at the top level. And you have to be at the top of your game as well. The 200 really pushes the envelope, it places demands on both you and your gear. But I guess it’s like they say - along with great power comes great responsibility!”

It is not just the hardware that Barry raves about:

“Hasselblad is a very good company from a photographer’s point of view. They are always quick to help out, to answer questions or to provide support. You really feel like you have a team there supporting you! There is always someone you can call and they are always happy to help. This would never happen with other companies.”

Barry also loves Hasselblad UK’s studio facilities. “Having access to these facilities means that I can provide top-notch studio services at very reasonable rates to clients and give them a great discount on gear rental as well. Yet another competitive advantage!”

Barry’s work can be seen at www.barrymphoto.com.