ISABELLA TABACCHI
Magical Mountainous Landscapes on the XCD 30
Italian photographer Isabella Tabacchi escaped to the dreamy mountain views of the Dolomites and the Swiss Alps to capture the beauty of the Milky Way across the skies and the grand Matterhorn Mountain. Known for her dynamic landscape compositions, Isabella utilized the X1D II 50C and XCD 30 lens to bring out the exceptional colours and preserve the magic of the scenes before her.
Alpine Observer
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/10 SEC
APERTURE: F/16
FOCAL LENGTH: 30MM
In the Swiss Alps, I wanted to immortalize the strong autumnal colours while looking for dynamic compositions that were not just the same reflection of the Matterhorn and trees in the water.
Autumn Thoughts
SHUTTER SPEED: 00:23
APERTURE: F/16
FOCAL LENGTH: 30MM
The XCD 30 is a lens I often use to have less distortion on elements in the distance. For example, when I use a shorter focal length, some mountains look smaller than how they appear when I look at them with my eyes. In the image “The Roots of Eternity”, thanks to the XCD 30, I could get a view that was wide enough to have the roots in the foreground leading to the Matterhorn. In the image, the size of the Matterhorn corresponds much more to the size of that peak I saw with my own eyes.
The Roots of Eternity
SHUTTER SPEED: 0,3
APERTURE: F/13
FOCAL LENGTH: 30MM
I also love night photography and the maximum aperture of the XCD 30 is f/3.5, making it a great lens for astrophotography, like during the shoot where I created my image “Magic in the Horizon”.
Magic in the Horizon
SHUTTER SPEED: 00:16
APERTURE: F/3,5
FOCAL LENGTH: 30MM
The locations in the images are all quite famous, but I usually look for new unknown spots using Google Earth and 3D Maps. I check the direction of the light and plan when and where specific light conditions will appear. I usually visit the location some hours before golden hour where I walk around looking for specific elements on the ground to build a composition with. In the image, natural elements on the ground can be used to lead the eye to the main subject, usually one of the majestic Alpine peaks I’m in front of. My favorite elements are flowers, roots, tree branches, lines drawn by the wind in the snow, and cracks in the ice.
Winter Oasis
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/45 SEC
APERTURE: F/16
FOCAL LENGTH: 30MM
I have always found my Hasselblad X System equipment to be very light and the XCD 30 is one of the lighter X System lenses. Many landscape photographers love to hike in the mountains, and as I am one of those, I’m really satisfied with how much space I can save in my backpack and how much lighter it is compared to the years where I didn’t use the Hasselblad X System.
ABOUT ISABELLA TABACCHI
While studying in Bologna to become a pharmacist, Isabella Tabacchi began attending basic photography courses and fulfilling her true calling. Growing up in the Italian countryside, she always enjoyed spending time in nature, so it only seemed natural that her photographic talents became oriented towards landscapes. “Such places are able to generate strong emotions in my soul. My natural habitat is the mountains; there, I have the feeling of being free from everyday life and can truly daydream,” says Isabella. See more of her work here.
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