Power of three: photographing rowers with Canon's f/2.8 trinity RF zoom lenses

London-based photographer Matthew Joseph has built a reputation for people-focused advertising photography that evokes emotion and captures authentic moments in what are typically inauthentic commercial situations. His rich, cinematic style draws clients from across the corporate and editorial worlds, and has seen him shooting for well-known brands, creative agencies and NGOs.

Matthew was one of the first photographers to use all three lenses that constitute Canon's 'f/2.8 trinity' of RF zooms: the Canon RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM, Canon RF 24-70MM F2.8L IS USM and Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. Covering ultra-wide, standard and telephoto zoom ranges, the trio offers professional build quality, 5-stop Image Stabilization and smooth Nano USM focusing technology, and together they give a focal length range that enables working photographers to shoot in practically any situation.

In this instance, Matthew was tasked with covering a day in the life of a rowing club on the River Thames near London, using the Canon EOS R and the new RF zoom lenses. Here we find out all about his shoot.

So how did you find going ultra-wide with the Canon RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM?
"So much of my work involves people that I scarcely shoot anything as wide as 15mm. However, this zoom offers a really useful range of focal lengths. Even though 35mm is my happy place, where I shoot pretty much all the time, there have been many situations where I wanted to quickly get wider than 35mm.

"I relied on the RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM in the boathouse during the shoot, where the short focal length accentuated the shape of the long rowing boats. I wanted to document how the rowers physically get this big boat down from the rack and work as a team to move together safely, to get it out on the water. It was a small, tight space with lots going on, so the lens was a natural choice."

Did the Canon RF 24-70MM F2.8L IS USM prove to be the workhorse on the day?
"I used it a lot. It's the perfect lens for the type of environmental portrait I like to shoot. Everyone quotes 85mm as the portrait lens, but my portraits are often shot somewhere in the 24 to 35mm range."

When did you use the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM?
"It was the mainstay when we were on the river shooting boat to boat, where we had to be a certain distance apart. The focal length range offered the flexibility of including the environment one minute, then homing in for tighter shots the next. My assistant was next to me, helping me to change lenses, but generally I was able to stay on the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM for a long time, as the size and weight of the lens was excellent."

What features of the Canon EOS R particularly suit the way you like to work?
"I love to take pictures from awkward and interesting angles, and as much as I never really like to shoot away from the viewfinder, there are situations where the Vari-angle touchscreen is very useful. Being able to use Touch & Drag AF on the screen when shooting with the viewfinder is also really good. I always select an AF point manually, and dragging my thumb across the screen to move the AF point feels a lot more fluid than using the joystick on a traditional DSLR. When I shoot video, I switch to manual focusing, as that's the way I'm used to working, so the focus peaking is a great feature.

"Another advantage is the silent shooting mode. If I submerge myself in a situation, initially there's always the feeling that people know there's a photographer around. I've developed ways of helping people to forget that I'm there, but sometimes having a shutter go off shatters that illusion. So the silent mode is very important when I'm trying to capture these real moments."

Which was the most challenging shot to get?
"I wanted to capture the connection between the rowers and the river. They sit so low in the boat – just inches from the water – and they're constantly getting wet, so to record that moment in an intimate way, I needed to be in the water in my wetsuit. It was difficult for the rowers, as they were worried about hitting me; the blades were coming right over my head and splashing me. I had just seconds to make sure not only that the camera settings were right, but that the four rowers' facial expressions matched the action.

"Initially, I started shooting with the Canon RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM, but it was just too wide and I lost that connection I was looking to capture. So I switched to the RF 24-70MM F2.8L IS USM and that gave me everything I needed."

What advice would you offer someone who hasn't shot rowers in action before?
"Be prepared to get cold and wet – and to think on your feet and act fast! The rowers don't have a lot of control over the boats, they're not super manoeuvrable, so you've got to be the manoeuvrable one, and you've got to have the kit to react fast. I actually prefer shooting rowers off the water. For me, it's about those moments in between. As much as we got some good action during this shoot, I'm more interested in the bit at the end when they're exhausted or they've just been defeated or they've just won a race and they're elated."