FLORA BORSI
THE GIRL WHO COULD TURN HERSELF INTO ANYTHING
Floating fish. An orchid for an eye. Feathery hair. Welcome to the world of Hungarian freelance visual artist and photographer Flora Borsi. With a surrealist touch, Flora uses her own life, memories, and emotions to execute superbly manipulated images featuring her as the main subject. Transforming every bit of her appearance for her ongoing self-portrait series, Flora used the X1D to capture her flora and fauna inspired creations.
PINK FISH
To achieve the right look for this image, I dyed my hair pink. It’s a funny story because I thought I could wash it out in a few days after the image was complete, but my hair stayed pink for over two months. It was worth it anyway. I also added pink colors and tones to the image to be in harmony with my hair.
APERTURE: F/5,6
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2000 SEC
FOCAL LENGTH: 45MM (XCD 3,5/45)
ORCHID
At first, I tried to make this image using a fake orchid, but after taking a trial photo with the X1D, the result was so sharp and high quality that you could see the petals' material texture. I then went to a florist to buy a real orchid instead. I analysed the characteristics and colours of the flower and used bright white makeup to sort of match its tones. In post, I changed my eye colour from blue to yellow to match my eye to the centre of the flower.
APERTURE: F/8
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500 SEC
FOCAL LENGTH: 90MM (XCD 3,2/90)
UGLY DUCK
After creating a feather wig, I took multiple photos where I threw feathers in the air. I then merged 5 or 6 photographs into one. Using the same lighting and aperture settings, the pictures looked quite similar; I just had to erase the background of some pictures of the feathers. The hardest part was the feather on my back – I had to draw that feather in order to cut it out perfectly, blend it in with the background, and place shadows on my body.
APERTURE: F/5,6
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/250 SEC
FOCAL LENGTH: 45MM (XCD 3,5/45)
PHOCUS
While seated center stage in front of the camera, unbeknown to the viewer, Flora was holding her smartphone by her side, using the Hasselblad Phocus Mobile app. Seated in a delicate setup, the use of Phocus Mobile was crucial when it came to Flora having the flexibility to take images from her seat with the touch of a button, preview the image instantly, and change various settings if necessary to reshoot the photo – all without leaving her seat and keeping her fragile composition intact.
The quality of the photographs was absolutely mind-blowing. I’ve never seen details with such perfect quality as the X1D delivers. The colours were completely accurate; the texture and shades were totally on point. I have never seen this kind of ‘perfectness’.
FLORA BORSI
Based in Budapest, Hungary, Flora Borsi is a fine art photographer drawing on surrealist themes that explore the female body and its representation. Teaching herself photo editing at the young age of 11, Flora also holds a degree in photography from the Moholy-Nagy University of Arts. Her work has been exhibited internationally with solo exhibitions in Europe and the USA. Her images have received critical acclaim from the press, including features in BBC Culture and Vice. See more of her work here.
CREATE WITH THE X1D II 50C
More Hasselblad stories
All stories ⟶Ottavio Giannella
THE EARTH AWAKENS
Photographer Ottavio Giannella flies with his X1D II 50C from Italy to Frankfurt and then on to Keflavík Airport in Iceland. He makes a 40-minute drive to the valley of the Reykjavík peninsula and a two-hour walk to his destination, the Fagradalsfjall eruption site.
Dayanita Singh
Books, Boxes, and Museums - Exhibits Reconstructed
On the 15th of October, Dayanita Singh was presented with the 2022 Hasselblad Award by the Hasselblad Foundation. Often referred to as "the Nobel Prize" in photography, the Hasselblad Award celebrates one artist's pioneering achievements in the photographic arts and their impact on the next generation of photographers. The Hasselblad Foundation highlights Singh's unique archival work, that not only documents the lives of archives but brings about a new way to interact and experience the art of photography.
Ali Rajabi
Pausing New York With the X2D
Every photographer knows about the Hasselblad brand, whether they're an amateur, enthusiast, or professional because the history of photography is on the shoulders of Hasselblad. For me, it's an investment in my career, to move to the next level. It's always important to have the right tools in the right moments to make great photographs.
Hans Strand
Iceland in Mesmerising 100MP Detail
For me as a photographer, the X2D is what a Stradivarius violin might be for a violinist. It's the ultimate camera.
Flora Borsi
Magical Realism With The X2D
The X2D is like a camera for painters. The pictures have the taste and technical background of a painting. I almost couldn't differentiate the two because it's just so perfect. This camera produces all the data I could ever use to convey the tales I want to tell with my pictures.
Heath Holden
Disappearing Doha
Discovering his new home of Doha, Qatar through the lens of street photography, Heath Holden explored the older and more traditional neighborhoods of the historical city.
Walter Janach
A Love Affair with Aviation on the 500C
Unable to become a pilot due to his eyesight, the young Swiss photographer and later professor of technical thermodynamics Walter Janach channeled his passion for aviation into capturing these majestic flying machines on his 500C.
Donald Michael Chambers
60 Minutes of Silence
No talking. No phones. No distractions. For 60 minutes, Donald Michael Chambers sat with each of his 30 subjects in complete silence. Once the hour began, Donald gave no direction and simply decided when to click the shutter button.
Gavin Goodman
Pleating Paper into Sculptural Headwear
South African photographer Gavin Goodman had a vision to create a series influenced by traditional African headwear done with a modern and simplistic touch. Commissioning a local origami artist as a unique way to bring this vision to life, they transformed delicate paper into beautiful African-inspired sculptural objects.