Baotou, China - 4k Panorama by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-08-22 | Baotou, China - 4k Panorama by Toby Smith
DAB Synergy Project - Installation View Toby Smith 2018-04-05 | David Attenborough Building Synergy Projecthttp://www.cambridgeconservation.org Twitter: @cci_cambridge @ZoologyMuseum @tobysmithphotoSlow-motion jumping fleas, a fly-over of Cameroonian rainforests, and David Attenborough abseiling down a living wall: new installation at the David Attenborough Building. The David Attenborough Building in central Cambridge is a hub for global biodiversity conservation. The Building is home to academics and practitioners engaged in many aspects of understanding and conserving the natural world, ranging from zoological research through to work to protect the world's pristine habitats and precious species from destruction. The University of Cambridge's amazing Museum of Zoology, with over 3 million specimens, is also located within the Building, and will reopen later in the year, following extensive refurbishment funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Now a new, publicly-accessible installation on the outside of the David Attenborough Building provides a dynamic window into the activities of those working within its walls. Photographer Toby Smith, in collaboration with 104 contributors from Cambridge and beyond, has adapted, created and curated over 75 unique multimedia segments. Fourteen large HD screens are embedded within the fabric of the David Attenborough Building displaying layers of diverse content to form an engaging and informative media show. The bespoke animations and short films work in harmony to showcase and reveal the work being undertaken within the Building and across Cambridge more generally. The installation offers the viewer unique glimpses of Cambridge's best loved spaces, with one film showing a bird's-eye-view of the Botanic Garden, while others reveal objects and spaces not normally visible to the public, such as behind the scenes in the Museum of Zoology's collectons, and research being conducted in the Department of Zoology. The diversity of nature within and around Cambridge is highlighted by films of people searching for bats on the River Cam at night, timelapse footage of Wicken Fen through the seasons, and nature reserves in the Cambridgeshire countryside. As many of the people working in the Building, not least those involved in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, work on biodiversity issues around the world, a number of the films take the viewer around the world, from albatross fisheries in the Southern Pacific to workshops training future conservation leaders in Africa. David Attenborough, as befits a building that bears his name, has his career history and achievements featured on a number of screens. The screens are located on the east side of the David Attenborough Building, on the podium walkway that surrounds the Building, close to the entrance on Corn Exchange Street. Once the Museum of Zoology, and the new café, have opened (on 27 March), access to the screens will also be possible through the café; this latter route will be step-free. Contact details for further informationElizabeth Allen Cambridge Conservation Initiative e.allen@jbs.cam.ac.ukRosalyn Wade Museum of Zoology rcw30@cam.ac.ukToby Smith Photographer toby@shootunit.com - www.shootunit.com
Flooding at Cockermouth - Storm Desmond - 5th and 6th December 2015 Toby Smith 2015-12-06 | On the 5th December 2015 Storm Desmond wreaked havoc across Cumbria in North-West England. With record breaking volumes of rain pouring onto the already saturated ground of the Lake District it was only hours before the watersheds filled the local rivers to capacity and beyond. The River Derwent and the River Cocker join at the town of Cockermouth. This small Cumbrian town is no stranger to flooding as in November 2009 both rivers burst their banks causing havoc to local economy for many months. Over 2 million pounds worth of flood defences have been installed in that last few years but did little to stop Storm Desmond bringing chaos to the town again. To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com
Dewanganj to Dhaka, Bangladesh - 6 Hour 4K Train Ride Toby Smith 2015-04-13 | Dewanganj to Dhaka - 6 Hour Train Ride in 4KDirected, filmed, edited and graded by Toby Smithwww.tobysmith.comFor all press, broadcast and commercial enquiries please contact:toby@shootunit.com Over 6 hours of footage from the window of a train ride from Dewanganj, on the bank of the Jumuna River in the North of Upazila State, to Dhaka, Bangladesh's bustling, mega-city capital.This 6 hour slow-tv feature is shot in stunning 4K resolution and presented without a single dropped frame or interruption to either image or sound. The journey begins in the quiet rural North of Bangladesh with the sunrise streaming through vegetation and reflecting off paddy fields. After 5 hours the landscape begins to close in on the trackside revealing many of the development issues that face this rapidly growing and urbanising country.Extra Credits:Visual effects - Compost CreativeRecorded on a travel day after completing an editorial assignment for Friendship Bangladesh, SES and Getty Images Reportage. The original footage is recorded at 3804 x 2160 pixels and was captured in Pro-Res 422 giving a total capture of 1.65 TB which represented 558,000 uninterrupted frames. The graded, edited version was compressed down with Adobe Premiere CC to an MP4 file at 126GB which took over 72 hours to process. Within an inch of YouTube's technical limit the file took 5 hours to upload on Getty Images' enterprise ISDN connection and YouTube's servers spent 4 days processing the file quality from 320p upto the full 2160p.
Rare Earthenware - Unknown Fields - 4K Trailer Toby Smith 2015-04-10 | While journeys to extraordinary places are the cornerstone of luxury travel, this project follows more well-concealed journeys taking place across global supply chains. It retraces rare earth elements, which are widely used in high end electronics and green technologies, to their origins. The film, developed with photographer Toby Smith, documents their voyage from container ships and ports, wholesalers and factories, back to the banks of a barely-liquid radioactive lake in Inner Mongolia, where the refining process takes place. Unknown Fields Division, in collaboration with Kevin Callaghan, have used mud from this lake to craft a set of three ceramic vessels. Each is sized in relation to the amount of waste created in the production of three items of technology – a smartphone, a featherweight laptop and the cell of a smart car battery. The resulting film and 3 vases will be on display at the V and A from the 25th of April.For press, broadcast or commercial enquiries please contact: toby@shootunit.com info@unknownfieldsdivision.comFor more information please visit:www.unknownfieldsdivision.comwww.tobysmith.comWhat is Luxury? - The V&A25 April – 27 September 2015What is Luxury? will interrogate ideas of luxury today. It will address how luxury is made and understood in a physical, conceptual and cultural capacity. Extraordinary works of craftsmanship will be on display including a couture gown by fashion designer Iris van Herpen and fine examples of haute horlogerie by British watchmaker George Daniels, alongside more unexpected projects which explore the cultural value of materials such as gold, diamonds and plastic. The future of luxury will be explored, asking questions about the role that time, space, privacy, well-being, social inclusivity and access to resources and skill may play in determining our choices and aspirations.Rare Earthenware is a project by Unknown FieldsPhotography with Toby SmithCeramics with Kevin Callaghan/London Sculpture WorkshopAnimation with Xristina Varvia
Roles and Responsibilities of Universities in Relation to Planetary Sustainability Toby Smith 2015-03-25 | Roles and Responsibilities of Universities in Relation to Planetary SustainabilityA Debate hosted by The University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute on the 16th March 2015Filmed and Edited by Toby Smithwww.tobysmith.comDo Universities have a responsibility towards people & the planet? How should they manage their research and investment portfolios? Do they have a duty to lead debate on energy and climate change?Chair:Susan Watts, science journalist/ex-science editor for BBC NewsnightPanel members: Dag Rune Olsen, Rektor of the University of BergenNicola Padfield, Master of Fitzwilliam CollegeAlison Smith, acting Head of Department, Plant Sciences Rob Lake, Independent Responsible Investment Advisor What are the challenges that Universities face in terms of managing research and investment portfolios which interface with external partners? How should Universities respond to public scrutiny of these activities, and perceptions about their ethical responsibilities to current and future generations, and the planet? Should universities manage their investments to reflect these concerns? Do they have a duty to guide public debate on climate change and energy policy and how far should this be reflected in their research and teaching?A panel discussion on the roles and responsibilities of Universities in relation to activities that impact on planetary sustainability, chaired by Susan Watts, science journalist and ex-science editor for BBC Newsnight. Panel members are the Rektor of the University of Bergen, Dag Rune Olsen, Nicola Padfield, Master of Fitzwilliam College, Professor Alison Smith, acting Head of Department, Plant Sciences and Rob Lake, Independent Responsible Investment Advisor.Student campaigns and public concern over ethical investment, as well as wider societal expectations in relation to the ways in which Universities handle their responsibilities to people and the planet, have been in sharp focus recently. In Norway, following an approach from the University of Bergen in relation to petroleum research, the Norwegian National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) issued an opinion in 2014 which stated that “achieving the goal of sustainability requires a transition to sustainable energy and knowledge development. Research funding authorities and research institutions are ascribed a special responsibility in this connection while the universities have a specific responsibility in their role as knowledge bearers.”(1) In a number of countries, Universities have actively entered this debate, and some have taken steps to adjust their investment and research portfolios after a reconsideration of these responsibilities. (2) Other public institutions, including those associated with research funding, have joined this discussion. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced its intention to take steps towards divestment in September 2014 (3), while the Wellcome Trust has argued that engagement is better than disengagement. (4) Just last month, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), worth $850bn (£556bn) and founded on the nation’s oil and gas wealth, revealed a total of 114 companies which had been removed on environmental and climate grounds in its first report on responsible investing. (5)References:https://www.etikkom.no/en/news/news-archive/2014/nents-assessment-of-research-ethics-in-petroleum-research/regarding-the-assessment-of-research-ethics-in-petroleum-research/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/science/the-new-school-takes-a-big-step-beyond-divesting-fossil-fuel-stock.html?_r=2 http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_364008_en.htmlhttp://gofossilfree.org/press-release/first-swedish-university-divests-from-fossil-fuelshttp://www.rbf.org/content/divestment-statementhttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/01/wellcome-trust-investment-chief-plays-long-gamehttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/05/worlds-biggest-sovereign-wealth-fund-dumps-dozens-of-coal-companies For further details, please contactDr Bhaskar Vira, Director, University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute. bv101@cam.ac.uk.
Guerilla Sapphire Mining - Ilakaka, Madagascar Toby Smith 2015-03-09 | Ilakaka in the centre of the arid, southern plains of Madagascar is a product of an explosion in Sapphire discovery and trade. In 1998 this sleepy town had a population of 40 villagers but now numbers close 60,000. Labourers have migrated in from across Madagascar and traders from around the globe. Madagascar’s sapphires resemble those from Sri Lanka as the two islands were once part of a single geological structure that was torn apart by plate tectonics. Concentrated by ancient rivers and alluvial deposits these stones are now found at a depth of 20-50m below the surface of the desert landscape..Small, guerrilla mines account for the high frequency of fatalities in the region. Exploratory wells are sunk vertically down, upto 50m, until the sapphire rich gravel is reached. Men, spoil and gravel alike are hoisted and lowered down the wells by make-shift log and rope winches. The mines are dug simply with a sharpened piece of steel rod but without any installation or reinforcement they are liable to collapse. Boys as young as 12 are killed by cave-ins or asphyxiate in the tunnels.
Illegal Gold Panning - Ranomafana, Madagascar Toby Smith 2015-03-09 | Families pan sediment for gold in the Namorona River close to Ramonofana National Park. The sediment is mined in his village close to the river-side. In 2011 the price of Gold peaked at E1379.09 per oz and in the same year 50 hectares of primary forest were destroyed by mining. The sediment in the river water causes further damage downstream.
Sapphire Trading - Ilakaka, Madagascar Toby Smith 2015-03-09 | Ilakaka in the centre of the arid, southern plains of Madagascar is a product of an explosion in Sapphire discovery and trade. In 1998 this sleepy town had a population of 40 villagers but now numbers close 60,000. Labourers have migrated in from across Madagascar and traders from around the globe. Madagascar’s sapphires resemble those from Sri Lanka as the two islands were once part of a single geological structure that was torn apart by plate tectonics. Concentrated by ancient rivers and alluvial deposits these stones are now found at a depth of 20-50m below the surface of the desert landscape.Every day at 4pm precisely, miners from across the region descend on Ilakaka and the village of Manombe to the North to sell their day’s treasure. The Gem Traders, from Sri Lanka and Thailand, have purchasing posts ranging from simple wooden huts to giant marble palaces. Competing with each other for purchase of the stones the experts are armed with a simple magnifying torch, a water bowl and year’s of experience. The Malagasy miners queue and jostle with each other as they visit different dealers hoping to strike the best cash price. Tensions run high with each stone often representing a week’s labour from 5-25 men. Violence between the miners is common as is the occasional murder and robbery of a trader adding to the Wild-West atmosphere.
Le Banque Suisse - Sapphire Mining in Ilakaka, Madagascar Toby Smith 2015-03-09 | Ilakaka in the centre of the arid, southern plains of Madagascar is a product of an explosion in Sapphire discovery and trade. In 1998 this sleepy town had a population of 40 villagers but now numbers close 60,000. Labourers have migrated in from across Madagascar and traders from around the globe. Madagascar’s sapphires resemble those from Sri Lanka as the two islands were once part of a single geological structure that was torn apart by plate tectonics. Concentrated by ancient rivers and alluvial deposits these stones are now found at a depth of 20-50m below the surface of the desert landscape. Close to Ilakaka town centre mountains of sand and gravel rise ominously above the desert plain. After scaling the terraces of uniformed coloured earth the sound of a water pump is heard coming from the depths of a seemingly bottomless pit. This unstable 40-50m deep hole is the town’s main sapphire mine and is referred to as the “Swiss Bank”. The operation is financed by a polite but secretive swiss entrepreneur who has been investing and seemingly profiteering from Ilakaka since the first gem rush over 14 years past.
3rd of February 2015 – 4:10pm – Akis Kollaros Toby Smith 2015-02-05 | 3rd of February 2015 – 4:10pm – Akis KollarosOn the 3rd of February 2015, shortly after 4pm, Akis Kollaros was cycling along Homerton High Street in London and collided with a tipper truck making a left turn. Paramedics were on the scene within seconds but were unable to revive him before Akis was pronounced dead at the scene. On the 20th January 2015, during morning rush hour in Hackney Stephanie Turner was cycling through the junction of Amhurst and Seven Sisters road and was also hit my a tipper truck making a left turn. She suffered critical injuries and died shortly afterwards. My wife and I live equi-distant between these 2 locations and know these roads well. Like Akis and Stephanie we rely on our bikes both to commute and get around London. We are only too aware of the perils of sharing a road with heavy goods vehicles and are almost exactly the same age as Akis and Stephanie. We feel saddened and frustrated that such young lives, similar to our own, could end in such preventable and similar circumstances. I read the tributes and flowers laid for Stephanie at the scene of the accident with feelings of grief and frustration. My sympathies extend to the families and friends of Stephanie and Akis but also to the truck drivers who, regardless of fault, must be suffering great anguish. As a cylist. driver and someone who contributes to the construction industry I appreciate the complexity of the debate on ‘how to improve cycle safety’. However, reviewing the statistics and scores of ‘ghost-bikes’ I have spotted around London I cannot help be angered at our lack of action to ‘prevent the unnecessary loss of life’ in our own city. As a photographer I feel strangely compelled to add to this debate and somehow reflect on the issue with my work. I spent some hours filming video at both locations which itself was very meditative. The footage here depicts the junction where Akis was killed and was filmed a day later at exactly the same time. I hope by removing the traffic and pedestrians the viewer can feel a sense of loss, peace and remembrance. I will be editing and uploading a video sharing the same approach for Stephanie early next week. Do feel free to embed, share and comment but with respect.
Madagascar - A Treasured Island Toby Smith 2014-12-18 | In times past an anarchist community of pirates called Madagascar home. It was an island beyond the law and off the map, a place of rogues, booty and bounties. These were outlaws moored on a marooned ecosystem. Set adrift 88 million years ago, the island is a castaway in the Indian Ocean, inhabited by a band of ecological stowaways. In this splendid isolation it has evolved into an unparalleled wonderland of the weird and unique, diverse and unbelievable.A political coup in 2009 left the country adrift once more – isolated from the international community, deprived of foreign aid and conservation funding. One of the planet’s most precious ecological treasures is home to one of its poorest nations and it raises difficult and complex questions about the relationship between necessity and luxury. Amidst political uncertainty, the island’s fragile and unique ecology is being smuggled out illegally, boat by boat, gem by gem.www.tobysmith.comwww.unknownfieldsdivision.comCreditsUnknown Fields - Art Direction and Trip ConceptToby Smith - Videography and ColourSamantha Lee - Editor and Motion GraphicsArtemis Doupa - Motion GraphicsZhan Wang - Motion GraphicsMond Qu - Motion Graphics
Xmas Unwrapped by Toby Smith and Unknown Fields Toby Smith 2014-12-17 | In August I travelled East with the Unknown Fields Division, to Vietnam, China and beyond. We traced the supply chain of the world’s consumer products across the South China Sea down cargo routes and inland to their production. Yiwu in China is not only home to the world’s largest wholesale commodity market but also many of the “Just in Time” factories that produce seasonal or trending products. Christmas consumables are produced in summer ready for wholesale, packaging and shipping to principally western markets. Ahead of the main body of documentary work from the field trip we've released this sattirical Xmas card. More of a jab at Western Consumption than Chinese production!www.tobysmith.comwww.unknownfieldsdivision.comTo use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com
Sealand National Anthem by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-12-17 | The Principality of Sealand is an unrecognised self-declared state (or micronation) located on a British-built platform in the North Sea. Its mass consists of HM Fort Roughs, a former Second World War Maunsell Sea Fort, off the coast ofSuffolk, England, United Kingdom.While it has been described as the world’s smallest country, or the world’s smallest nation, Sealand is not recognised by any established sovereign state, although Sealand’s government claims it has been de facto recognised by the United Kingdom and Germany.In February 2013 I was privileged enough to visit Sealand with Michael Bates and his son on assignment for the Sunday Times Magazine. A fascinating day of Photography and Video…
South China Sea - 4K, 93 Min Single Take by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-11-12 | 93 Minutes of 4K footage shot from the Bow of the Container Ship Gunhilder Maersk as she traverses the South China Sea from Vietnam to China. Shot and assembled in 4K as a single take with no frame-breaks.This video is the technical test of a number of long single take films I will be uploading to You Tube over the next few months. All shot and graded in glorious 4K. Please subscribe or follow on twitter to catch their release.This footage was captured as part of the Unknown Fields 2014 Summer Expedition. www.tobysmith.comwww.unknownfieldsdivision.com
The Gunhilde Maersk - 4K Time Lapse by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-09-27 | Web: www.tobysmith.comTwitter: @tobysmithphotoE-Mail: toby@shootunit.comShot in July 20144K Timelapse of The Container Ship Gunhilde Maersk at sea from Ho-Chi Minh, Vitenam to Ningbo, China and the incredible loading sequences at each port.Voyage was part of the Unknown Fields, A World Adrift, Field Trip in September 2014. A montage of over 78,000 5D Mk3 RAW files, processed groomed and edited to create a stunning day to night sequence in 4K. The camera was fitted with a 17mm TS Lens and mounted in a custom, solar powered, marine housing.To use this video in a commercial player, reposts or in broadcasts, please email: toby@shootunit.com
Shanghai Shipyard, China - 4K Panorama by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-08-22 | Shanghai Shipyard, China - 4K Panorama by Toby Smith
South China Mall, China - 4K Panorama by Toby Smith Toby Smith 2014-08-22 | South China Mall, China - 4K Panorama by Toby Smith
Toby Smith - Cinematic Showreel Toby Smith 2012-09-25 | A cinematic show-reel combining footage shot over the last 3 years of my career. Many of the clips echo my large format compositions and were captured during personal projects or assignments across the world.Locations include Scotland, England, China, India and Madagascar. Music is "The Great Drive By" by Funki Porcini and is licensed from Ninja Tune (UK) whilst the edit and grade was done by Daren Nair here in London.Please contact me for any further information on the projects, assignments or indeed licensing of existing footage. Technically the work is either Time Lapse or HD Video captured on a Canon 5d Mkii.
