Photography intersects with everything – science, art, cinema (moving image).
“The aesthetic discussion of photography is dominated by the concept of time.
Photographs appear as devices for stopping time and preserving fragments of the
past, like flies in amber. Nowhere, of course, is this trend more evident than when
still photography is compared with film. The natural, familiar metaphor is that
photography is like a point, film like a line. Zeno’s paradox: the illusion of
movement.”
Peter Wollen ‘Fire and Ice’ [1984] in CAMPANY, 2007: 108
“All those young photographers who are at work in the world, determined upon
the capture of actuality, do not know that they are agents of Death.” (92)
BARTHES, 1982
Barthes asserted that every photograph utters that its subject ‘this has been’, and therefore
no longer ‘is’. Whether we think of the still as a suspension of time – freezing it, in Wollen’s
terms – or, on Barthes’s terms, kind of killing it — it stands to reason that the animated
image has inherent associations with life and the living
- Other than photography, what art forms and creative media do you take inspiration from?
I love films and I take most of my inspiration from that genre. I love watching films (and good TV) that use clever lighting and interesting compositions. The first time I saw JJ Abrams’ iconic sun flare I knew I was in love! Also of course, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson (although style over substance, maybe), Alfred Hitchcock, and the cinematographer, Gordon Willis on Manhattan.
I also draw a lot of my light work from the Old Masters – Rembrandt and Caravaggio, just sublime understanding of the subtlety of using and enhancing light to tell your story.
Reflection Guidance
- How have you directly drawn from non-photographic disciplines to develop your practice?
It is very much art and film based. This has definitely opened my eyes to “seeing more”.
- How would you describe the distinctive, essential qualities of photography?
For me, photography is all about light, moment, composition. Being primarily a wedding photographer – moment trumps all else, but I do love it when they all come together!
- Are any of these characteristics the reason for you choosing it as your means of expression?
Well, I’m rubbish at art so photography became my thing!
