Photography Archives

Photo London

Photo London 2018 / John Gough / Sony a6300

I can understand if you are a photographer, you might consider Photo London which is currently at Somerset House in London, as being more for art connoisseurs, and photograph collectors. There are around 100 galleries from smart destinations from around the world, selling photographic artwork that is priced in the ‘I Saw You Coming’ bracket. However, any cynicism is blown away once you get inside, and witness the quality of the photography on show, and realise that photography that commands prices of many tens of thousands of pounds has to be stunning.

The conundrum that the exhibition poses is why when there are tens of millions of photographs taken every day (40 million are uploaded to Instagram each day) how is it that some command such value.

Many of the images are iconic from famous photographers. Who would not want a Terry O’Neill photograph of Jagger, Bowie or Micheal Caine? Who would not want a Martin Schoeller portrait?

However, there is also work from artists that we don’t all know. I was blown away by the abstract work of German photographer Andreas Gefeller especially his collection The Backside of Light [I don’t know whether something has been lost in translation here!] and if I had £14,500 to spare I could be tempted to buy one. NB limited edition of eight.

There is no denying that photography does not yet command the prices of some traditional art, and probably never will. However, the extent to which Photo London has grown in terms of the number of exhibitors, and standing in the art world, in the four years it has been in existence is amazing. There is now a real buzz around collecting photography which is hard to ignore.

If you want to get into the world of collecting photographs then the British Journal of Photography has put together an e-guide, The Beginners Guide to Collecting Photography which can be obtained here.

Photo London is on for just one more day.

Royal Wedding Fever

by John Gough

Royal Wedding Fever / John Gough / Sony a6300

Don McCullin in Syria

by John Gough

“Now I’m in an old man’s body with a young man’s eyes,” says 82-year-old veteran war photographer Don McCullin as he struggles to the top of a shelled building in the Syrian city of Homs. He and architectural historian Dan Cruickshank take a road trip from government-controlled Damascus to Palmyra. The Unesco-listed ancient Syrian desert city of temples and columns ravaged by IS during the war that preceded the other wars that are desecrating this country.

BBC Documentary: The Road to Palmyra

McCullin and Cruikshank, who we assume are old friends have a close association with the city. In the programme, The Road to Palmyra they travel through this war torn land to return and understand the havoc wreaked there.

The documentary is an opportunity to see McCullin at work, “My mind says, ‘We’re going up there,’ my body says, ‘Hang on, are you sure?’ If my legs shake a bit, it’s not because I’m afraid, it’s my body refusing my youthful mind.” He has lost none of his ability to observe, empathise and document. However, it is the emotional input to his photography that is paramount, as it has been throughout his long career.

“Photography for me is not looking its feeling. If you can’t feel what you are looking at. Then you’re not going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures”

Don McCullin

The documentary will be available on iPlayer for a few weeks.

2018 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition

by John Gough

Sony World Photography Awards / John Gough / Sony a6300

We consume so much of our photography online, that to go and see a magnificent photographic print is just a rare treat. For that reason, there is no bigger treat than the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, which is on at Somerset House until May 6th. I just loved being immersed in such stunning photography room after room. I wanted some osmosis to occur where some of the talent that had gone to make up these pictures would just rub off on me.

We are fed the line as photographers that we should be able to make a photograph from any view, vista or situation. This is not always true. I would love to be able to get to the places in the world where some of these photographers had been, stand in their shoes, and look down my viewfinder and see what they saw. So the learning I took away was……….get yourself there.

Many of the pictures from the exhibition are here.

Some background…………

David Hurn: A Life in Pictures

by John Gough

David Hurn Exhibition

There was an under trailed programme on BBC television about David Hurn, a photographer who started in the 60’s with fashion then moved on to celebrity photographs notably Jane Fonda in Barbarella and Sean Connery in the Bond movies. The programme is a delight and you may still be able to find on BBC iPlayer.

It is charming because at the age of 83 Hurn is still as enthusiastic about photography as he has been all his life.

Before photography became art and pictures sold for thousands, Hurn would swap his pictures with other photographers. As a result, he has a vast and valuable photograph collection with images from all the great photographers of the 20th Century. Last year he exhibited at Photo London. The exhibition which was co-curated with Martin Parr marked the 70th anniversary of Magnum Photos and included work that Hurn had swapped with Bill Brandt, Bruce Davidson, Sergio Larrain and Diana Markosian.

In the programme, he explains his rationale for donating his collection to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. There was an exhibition of the collection which has now finished, and there are no plans I understand for a further exhibition at present.

David Hurn, however, is primarily a documentary photographer:

and I have collected some of his work here.

Vision Nine Contemporary Photography

by John Gough

Vision 9

Today I viewed the Vision 9 contemporary photography exhibition at the OXO Tower on the South Bank. Nine leading outdoor photographers are displayed showing seascapes, landscapes and abstract images.

Why go? My rationale is that it demonstrates the gap between the work I do and truly remarkable photography. If I have a personal mission, it is to close that gap.

The photographers exhibiting are:

Valda Bailey Doug Chinnery Cheryl Hamer Marianthi Lainas Astrid McGechan Beata Moore Paul Sanders

Richard Talibart Linda Wevill

The exhibition is on until the 15th April. Admission is free.

Philip Lepper Trophy

by John Gough

Trees Reflected / John Gough / Canon 6D

Delighted to receive the Philip Lepper Trophy at Bedford Camera Club this week, for my image Trees Reflected.

It was taken a year or so ago at Buttermere. I parked the car in Buttermere village then walked back along the B5289 towards Gatesgarth. I then walked back to Buttermere on the path between the lake and the road. The picture was taken looking back at the trees on the southern shoreline, using a big 100-400mm lens.

All the photography gods were aligned that day.

Lake District Photography Locations

by John Gough

Pooley Bridge Pier / John Gough / Canon 6D

I have been in the Lake District for a few days, and instead of darting from one location to the next, I did what many landscape photographers recommend which is to work the location. Usually, I don’t have the time for this, trying to pack in as much as I can. However, I have accumulated hundreds of pictures of the Lakes over the past few years, so I decided to follow their advice.

Lake District Photography: Wastwater

I started in Wastwater and worked the view looking towards Wasdale Head and Skafell Pike.

The landscape experts tell you to make the most of the weather you have been given. Well, at least it was not that insipid clear blue sky, you see on postcards of Lakeland scenes. The sky instead was overcast, the rain was spitting, and the breeze created a slight swell on the water. All in all, this created quite a moody scene.

Wastwater in March / John Gough / Canon 6D

Lake District Photography: Buttermere

The next day I went in search of a photography icon, the lone tree on the shoreline of Buttermere Lake. Hundreds of photographers have got there before me. Indeed there was one there as I arrived, self consciously moving a tripod around while his wife looked on impatiently. Fortunately, I had neither encumbrance.

Head for the Fish Inn CA13 9XA. There is a public carpark. Walk past the pub and onto the path around the lake. When you reach the banks of the lake turn left and follow the path.

The Lone Tree / John Gough / Canon 6D

It is a misnomer the tree is not on its own, there are other trees along the bank. However, none have captured the imagination of artists and photographers quite like this one.

Lake District Photography: Ullswater

I went to Pooley Bridge on Ullswater to find another iconic location, the Duke of Portland Boathouse. The best vantage point is from the wall just past the junction of the A592 and the B5320. It was, however, overcast, pouring with rain, and the lake was a murky grey. The boathouse is really only worth shooting as the sun comes up and illuminates it from the front.

I walked back to the pier for Ullswater steamers, by now it was raining hard, but as pier pictures seem very much in vogue, I captured the image at the top of the page. I took several but the rest were ruined by rain spots. By now I was cold and wet, so I decided it was time for a bacon butty.

I have added links to the books I use to find locations. These are affiliate links so I do get a very small payment if you purchase.

I used my Canon 6D on this trip with the magic 16-135 lens ideal for landscapes. I buy my gear from Wex because I have experienced their fantastic customer service personally.

Photography Show

by John Gough

A Model at the Photography Show / John Gough / Sony a6300

I went to the Photography Show today, these are just a few impressions:

Canon 6DII

The Canon 6DII had been reduced in price again with a double discount scheme. Below £1400 and with a 24-70 lens thrown in for an extra £100. This is a sure sign that this much maligned camera is struggling. I talked to the guys on the Canon stand who said what we know, which is that Canon was afraid of ruining the market segment for the Canon 5D IV, by raising the specification too far. This strategy has backfired.

Sony A7III

The star of the show was the Sony A7III, I had read the reviews but was not sure how it would feel. It is a small light camera but feels solid in the hands. The EVF is big and bright. I compared it with my Sony a6300, and it is a bit bigger. I think it could be used for street photography. I want one.

Fuji H-XT

There has been some magic lost here. Fuji folk would never admit it. They are the most die hard camera fans there are. Fuji does some excellent marketing to keep them loyal and close. The camera, however, did not have the look and feel of the X-T2, X-T20 or the beautiful X-Pro2. I think it is losing the vintage experience and replacing with a top screen c’ Nikon year 2005, which has something to do with it. Plus Olympus and Sony are demonstrating that cameras do not have to be big and clunky.

Adapting Canon Lenses to Sony

I admit it was on the Sony stand that I heard this, but the Sigma M11 works well joining Canon glass to Sony bodies. There are frequent updates that can be downloaded to the adapter as new lenses and bodies are introduced. There is a big demand for this adapter as photographers switch from Canon to Sony.

Trashhand

Listened to Trashhand on the Live Stage. “Call me Trash”. Liked his approach to street photography which was a mix of people, architecture and urban landscape. He recounted that he had been spat at and assaulted working on the mean streets of Chicago, LA and New York. “If people complain, it is their fault. If they don’t want their photo taken then they should not be on the street”.

Paul Sanders

Saw Paul Sanders in the Adobe Theatre. Beautiful minimalist landscape using Lee big stopper filters to their full potential i.e. 10 and 20 minute exposures.

The End

An excellent day, although I did get collared by security for taking a photograph of a door. I had to point out that this was a photography show.

Looking Out / John Gough / Sony a6300

International Garden Photographer of the Year

by John Gough

IGOPTY at Kew Gardens.

An exhibition of last year’s winners of the IGPOTY is now at Kew Gardens and then a few other venues around the country. I went along today and there are some terrific images. This photography contest has become big business and is very popular. To get a winning image is a big deal, and the standard is to die for. The winning images are here.

Interesting how ‘creative’ so many of the winners are, and how plant photography drifts so seamlessly into abstract. Try to catch it.