Leo Gayola OM magazine

INTERVIEW
OM | ISSUE 001 | JAN-MAR 2021
6

The snow was falling
heavily, and the conditions
were complicated, but I
absolutely wanted to be
able to capture the animal
in this extraordinary
atmosphere
What’s in Leo’s kit bag

OM-D E-M1
Mark III

M.Zuiko 7-14mm
F2.8 PRO

M.Zuiko 12-100mm
F4.0 IS PRO

M.Zuiko 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO

M.Zuiko 2x
Teleconverter MC-20
Has your photography changed
since travel restrictions have been
in place?
My photography practice has
not changed much since the
travel restrictions because I enjoy
searching for really beautiful things
that I already have close to home.
I live in a magnificent region,
the Hautes-Alpes, so there is no
shortage of subjects from sumptuous
landscapes to mythical animals!

spent the morning in its company,
studying the behaviour and getting
comfortable. After a while, it started
to yawn, and I was able to take
a burst to freeze the moment, all
at 1600mm equivalent with my 2x
converter attached to the lens.
Finally, in another favourite shot
of mine, I tried to photograph the
ibex as symmetrically as possible to
give it as much presence as possible
and bring the viewer back into its
magnetic gaze (4).
The snow was falling heavily, and
the conditions were complicated,
but I absolutely wanted to be
able to capture the animal in this
extraordinary atmosphere. This
image was taken with the 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO.
What is the first thing you would
like to photograph or a place
you’d like to visit when moving
around gets easier?
I think, for nature lovers like me, the
confinement is hugely frustrating!
I’ve been planning a photo trip to
the Danube Delta in Romania for
two years. I’m familiar with this
beautiful, very wild place a little bit,
but I would really like to be able
to take my clients there because it
offers such a paradise for wildlife;
especially birds. I’m looking forward
to testing out new possibilities with
my Olympus, including the 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO coupled with the MC-20
for close-ups of the birds.

4
(4) OM-D E-M1 Mark
III | M.Zuiko 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO
1/1000s | F4 |
ISO 320

(5) OM-D E-M1 Mark
III | M.Zuiko 7-14mm
F2.8 PRO
1/640s | F8 |
ISO 400
7

(6) OM-D E-M1 Mark
III | M.Zuiko 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO
1/2500s | F4 | ISO
400
What would be on your ultimate
wish list to photograph over
the next five years if you had
the chance?
I don’t have any specific plans for
the next five years; life and nature
have taught me to live from day-today. I like to share my good nature
spots with my clients and I enjoy
discovering new ones, too. I love
(7) OM-D E-M1 Mark
III | M.Zuiko 300mm
F4.0 IS PRO
1/3200s | F8 |
ISO 250
(8) OM-D E-M1X |
M.Zuiko 150-400mm
F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO
MC-14.
1/8s | F14 | ISO 64
5
8
14
15
adventure and I need contact with
nature. The new Olympus range
offers a wonderful way for me to get
closer to the wild world. Of course, I
have dreams in my head, but I think
a good photographer has to know
how to adapt and that’s what I try
to do. For some time now I have
been doing a lot of video capture in
nature and I would like to be able
to produce films, too. The equipment
offered by Olympus is simply
incredible, and for me, it is the best
in terms of stabilization both in
photo and video. I don’t need to go
out with my tripod anymore!
What kit advice would you give to
someone starting out in your field?
Without hesitation, the E-M1 Mark
III with the M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4.0
IS PRO and the 300mm F4.0 IS PRO,
or the M.Zuiko 100-400mm F5-6.3
IS. With this kit, you can get out in
nature and immerse yourself with
such little weight in your bag but
loads of photographic possibilities,
ranging from landscapes to the most
distant birds.

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