Making of

A technical and logistic challenge

For this photographic campaign without no-go areas, Gilles Martin trained in all the techniques of animal photography. From scientific photography to shooting African big cats, and from macrophotography to underwater images, he covered all fields in the discipline. He also developed an entire home-made arsenal, making remotely controlled robots, floating hides, infra-red photographic traps, and other ingenious DIY devices, which allowed him to approach Europe’s extremely shy wildlife.

A photographic inventory

At the end of this mission, 20,000 images will build up an overall picture of the living world, at its most exceptional and most vulnerable. Gilles Martin will have photographed the ecosystems of 100 countries and covered all the points on the globe where biodiversity is damaged.

Photo and video gear

• 2 Canon Body EOS 5D Mark III
• 1 Canon Body EOS-1D Mark III
• 1 Canon Body EOS-1V (for B&W)
• Lens Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM
• Lens zoom Canon EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L USM II
• Lens zoom Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS USM
• Macro lens Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8L IS USM
• Lens Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS USM
• Extender Canon EF 1.4x II
• Extender Canon EF 2x II
• Flash Canon Macrolite MT-24EX
• Extention tube Canon EF 25 II
• Extention tube Canon EF 12 II
• Bellow Novoflex  series BALPRO for Canon EOS
• 2 Tripods Gitzo
• Wimberley Head
• Novoflex Head Magic Ball MB50
• 2 Infrared barrer Jama BIR3
• GoPro camera Hero3 Black Edition

Microphotography gear

• Trinocolar microscope Zeiss Axioscope A1.
  For reflected-light (BF, DF, DIC) and fluorescence.
• Objective Zeiss A-Plan 2.5x/0.06 M27
• Objective Zeiss A-Plan 10x/0.25 M27
• Objective Zeiss A-Plan 40x/0.65 M27
• Immersion lens Zeiss EC Plan-Neofluar 100x/1.30 Oil Pol M27
• Stereomicroscope Zeiss Stemi 2000 C. Range 6,5x to 50x