Rob Whitworth keeps the images flowing with PAGlink batteries
JUN 2015
Click here to see the Dubai film
I am a travel photographer and urban film maker well known for the use of time-lapse and hyperlapse photography. My work has received international awards, widespread critical acclaim and millions of online views.
Recent major projects include shoots for the upcoming 'One Planet' series for the BBC Natural History Unit, a Facebook video for Nike set in San Francisco, viral videos of Barcelona commissioned by the Catalan tourism board, and a 30 second introduction for Tiny Times 3, a Chinese language blockbuster film that reached number 3 in the international box office charts on its opening weekend.
I have just finished working on a project in Dubai using multiple DSLR cameras, and also using PAGlink batteries for the first time. It was fantastic to have a reliable power source when I needed to leave the cameras shooting for extended periods of time. Knowing that the batteries definitely wouldn’t be a problem allowed me to pay attention to other areas. There were several shoots in Dubai where the cameras had to be installed a long time in advance: an A380 landing, which was shot from the cockpit, and the New Year fireworks, shot simultaneously from multiple rooftops. Returning to a camera showing a flat battery icon and no images wouldn’t have been the best surprise.
Like with all great bits of kit, you add them to your kit bag for an initial reason (with PAGlink it was longer battery run-time), and over time they open up other unforeseen possibilities and become indispensable. I was recently in Sydney, shooting the classic harbour view, on quite a choppy day. The best solution for smoothing out water is to increase the exposure length, with the help of some ND filters. However, when shooting 15 second exposures in time-lapse, the small camera battery dies quickly. Having the PAGlink batteries meant that I could leave four cameras running all day without any concerns.
Another great feature is being able to power multiple cameras from a stack of batteries for a number of days. Essentially, I want to avoid disturbing the position of the cameras, so the less I have to touch them the better. Using PAGlink batteries means I can keep the cameras firing by adding fully-charged batteries to the stack.
It’s great getting to work with different companies and professionals. I love discovering the clever solutions they come up with for all the problems we have shooting. PAG was a brand that I was aware of, but it was working with the team in Dubai, who had PAGlink batteries as part of their kit, that gave me a chance to try them out and explore all their different possibilities.
