Canon EOS mag

World of EOS photography

Reproduced from EOS magazine January-March 2013

For more information:

Kos’ new book, ‘Walking on Water –

The Daredevil Acrobatics of a Pioneer-

ing Photographer’ is available to buy

from good booksellers (Adlard Coles

Nautical, hardback, £30). The book

encapsulates Kos’ most dramatic pho-

tographs and offers thrilling anecdotes

of her life. The book also includes a

Foreword by Duran Duran singer and

keen sailor Simon Le Bon.

don’t speak very good English. They know the aeronautical

terms, but can struggle when it comes to shooting directions.

Sometimes this has to be just hand signals.

What do you think will be your next photographic purchase?

I’m looking at purchasing the EOS 5D Mark III. Clients are

requiring more videography as well as stills, which is slightly

frustrating as the two mediums have to be treated quite

differently and a lot of clients don’t understand this. So I

have to go back to my roots – the London College of Printing

where I studied television and feature film making, as well

as photography. Videography is about the editing and how

the piece is cut together, but the versatility of the latest EOS

cameras makes everything possible.

Which water sport do you most enjoy photographing?

Shooting superyacht regattas is truly amazing. The size of the

yachts these days is ridiculous and just gets more impressive,

as designers are given the freedom to push the envelope of

design to James Bond levels. To shoot these yachts crashing

around a racecourse makes for impressive imagery. The

crew appear like ants as they clamber around the deck. The

sculptural designs, reflective glass and metallic paint make

futuristic imagery.

How do you ensure you stay at the top of your profession?

I have a passion for photography that drives me to find

new ways to shoot and hopefully create evocative images.

I am lucky that clients find this attractive and keep me at

the forefront. I also have a very good understanding of

what is either art and/or what is a great commercial image

– this almost crosses into marketing knowledge rather than

photography. In the commercial world, there’s no point taking

a picture that no one either values or can use.

I pinch myself everyday to think I get paid to do a job I

adore, and that other people find pleasure in my work.

For more of Kos’ images visit

www.kospictures.com

Kos’ kit includes:

2x EOS-1Ds Mark III

EF 300mm f2.8L USM

EF 14mm f2.8L II USM

EF 100mm f2.8L IS Macro

EF 70-200mm f2.8L USM

EF 28-70mm f2.8L USM

Extender EF 1.4x

EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM

|10

From shooting Maxi yachts for a Rolex advertising campaign

to chasing a boat through London for an action sequence in a

Bond movie, Kos Evans – together with her EOS cameras –

has been at the forefront of marine photography for 30 years.

What are your biggest challenges?

My biggest challenge photographically, unlike most

photographers, is the conditions in which I work. Unlike

shooting on land, working on the sea means you are dealing

with an environment that doesn’t suit cameras. The salt

is extremely corrosive, the vibration from working on fast

powerboats shakes camera screws loose and the lenses get

bashed and also covered in seawater at times. Plus you are

working from a moving platform shooting a moving subject.

To protect my equipment as much as possible I use a large

cool box as my camera bag – the cameras and lenses remain

much drier and protected even if the boat is awash with water.

It’s essential to know how to direct the driver of the

powerboat to go where I need to go so we don’t get in the way

of the event, but position me to get a great picture.

I don’t have a fear of heights so I can shoot from a helicopter

dangling out of the open door standing on the skids. The same

goes for shooting from the masthead of a yacht. I can change

lenses up there, or use a zoom to crop into events on deck, as

well as shooting wide for an overview.

How have advances in camera technology (e.g. faster lenses,

increased frame rate, file size, etc) affected your photography?

The improvements in technology have been so amazing it gives

the photographer the freedom to shoot anything at any time.

The increased ISO range gives the ability to shoot in more

extreme conditions – similarly the HDR facility. File size gives

a longevity (we hope) to the quality of the image. Where

will we be in 100 years from now? The fact that lenses are

becoming lighter helps in my game too.

Which are your favourite lenses, and why?

My favourite lenses tend to be zooms. Working on wet boats

I don’t want to change lenses too often as there is a risk of

getting a wave over my camera at the same time.

How effective is the waterproofing on the EOS 1Ds Mark III

and what precautions do you take?

I love my EOS 1Ds Mark III. It’s a really balanced camera when

working with long lenses and I have never had a problem with

corrosion – the contacts are well sealed. The camera is like

a tank – almost bombproof. I am careful, however, to always

clean my equipment after each shoot with surgical spirit. This

takes off the salt without leaving any moisture.

What special camera settings or lenses do you use when

shooting from a helicopter?

I like to work in Av mode and shoot at no less than 1/1000

second as there is usually vibration from the rotor blades.

Explain the importance of the helicopter pilot for achieving

some of your iconic shots.

When working with a new helicopter pilot, I first find out if he

had military training as these guys are usually the very best –

you can push them harder to do what you want them to do. I

usually map out a storyboard of the shots I need to get. I try

to always brief them fully before take off. Sometimes they

Walking on

Water

Kos Evans demands exceptional performance in extreme circumstances.