Ansel Adams - "Examples The Making of 40 Photographs"

Again this book was on a recommended reading list. I was somewhat reluctant to get the book because of the antipathy I have towards the celebrity status bestowed on people in practically all fields. Such hero worship tends towards all the person's work being deemed 'good' or even 'great' sometimes referred to as the 'halo effect'. I have always felt that this is true of Ansel Adams who seems to have achieved the status of a demigod. Certainly it is almost impossible to study photography in almost any form without coming across his name particularly when the discussion is about black and white photography. Examples of his work that I have seen previously, in all cases in books, have on the whole been disappointing. However on getting this book I have had to change my mind. I believe that this is because there has been a concentration on producing the best possible images of the chosen 40 thus presenting them in the best possible light.

I believe there are three main elements of the book - the images chosen; the references to the technical elements and, for me the best part, Adams' views on photography. I decided to look at these elements separately across three blogs. I realise that this imposes artificial barriers between the separate elements that should really be considered as a whole but it does allow for, hopefully, greater clarity. To this end I have used the following headings - Choice; Technique, and Philosophy. The first element will be presented in this blog and the remaining two in two further blogs.

Choice

Of the many thousands of photographs that Adams took over the 50+ years of his photographic career it is not obvious why he chose these 40 and perhaps he does not know.  In many ways it is a fruitless exercise to try to explain and it is not my intention to try. In looking through these photographs I found myself responding in a number of different ways some of which were surprising given the attitude of mind I brought to the exercise. The more I studied the images the more I found myself asking  where I would place the individual images in a simple classification of 'Wow', 'Great', 'O.K,' and 'Nope' which led inevitably to me asking myself why I had made those decisions. In what follows I have used the titles used by Adams. The page numbers refer to the edition of the book that I have read [Adams A (1983) Examples  The Making of 40 Photographs. Eleventh paper back printing 2013. Italy: Little, Brown and Company]. It is important to stress that the choices are solely mine and record my reaction to the individual prints and a brief analysis as to why I think I reacted as I did.

Wow

Monolith, The face of Half Dome  Yosemite National Park 1927  (p.3)

The overall impact of this image is enhanced by the capture of the detail in the various elements. Apart from the sky everywhere one looks there is texture and form . The grandeur of the scene and the way that it is composed draws strong emotion.

The Golden gate before the Bridge  San Francisco   California, 1932  (p. 19)

This image has almost everything - the cloud formation, the light on the water and the framing provided by the headlands. There is detail and texture in all parts and the eye is drawn into the image by the composition. One of those images that make you wish that you could be half as good.

Sand Dunes, Sunrise  Death Valley National Monument, California  1948  (p. 57)

An image with real impact that draws the viewer in. There is just sufficient sense of texture in the brightly lit dune front to retain the interest.

Tenaya Creek, Dogwood, Rain  Yosemite National Park 1948  (p.79)

Everything about this picture is right. It is wonderfully composed; light has been captured at its best and the printed result is breath-taking.

Church and Road  Bodega California c. 1953  (p.137)

It is the simplicity of the image combined with the capture of the various textures that makes this a 'wow' image. The composition with the church above the natural eye line adds a dynamic that contributes to the picture's strength.

Merced River, Cliffs, Autumn  Yosemite National Park  1939  (p. 141)

One of my favourites. The capture of the light and the detail offered in a busy but well composed image makes it outstanding.

Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox Canyon de Chelly  National Monument  1937  (p. 153)

Given Adams' other portraits it is something of a surprise to come across this image. The composition cannot be faulted and the drama of the sky with the two figures set against it with only their faces and one hand in the light makes for a classic photograph. The strength of the image lies in the expression on their faces and the sense of an unposed picture adds to the appreciation of a 'wow' image.

Great

Base of Upper Yosemite Fall  Yosemite National Park, c. 1950 (p. 15)

My first reaction to this image was 'wow' as I saw the detail and light in the upper part. It is quite remarkable and one is left with a sense of awe not only because of the power of the fall but also the talent of the photographer. Unhappily this is an image very much of two parts where the lower half is a disappointment that fails by a long way the majesty of the upper half. The inclusion of the rock face does nothing to the overall impact of the image and the tree, bottom left, seems totally superfluous.

El Capitan, Winter Sunrise  Yosemite National Park, 1968  (p. 45)

A similar reaction to the image of Yosemite fall but the ethereal nature of El Capitan above the mist/cloud rather spoils the image as a whole. The detail in the valley floor and trees is exceptional.

Clearing Winter Storm Yosemite National Park  1940  (p. 103)

This is a powerful image particularly the upper half. The two large trees in the right foreground are an unnecessary inclusion but it is impossible to say whether Adams was in a position to shoot without including these trees whilst at the same time retaining the composition of the rest of the picture. One wonders whether Adams, with today's technology, would have removed them post capture.

Arches North Court Mission San Xavier del Bac  Tucson Arizona 1968  (p. 107)

A very powerful image that, one presumes, captures the essence of the building. The composition is really good and it may be pernickety to wonder whether it was possible to get a similarly powerful image without the central pillar which cuts the church building in half.

Still Life  San Francisco California  c. 1932  (p. 113)

My least favourite of all the images in the book but this should not be allowed to detract from the quality of the work overall. The capture of detail (the pressure marks on the egg in the slicer and the reflection of the egg in the grater) is remarkable.

Jacques Henri Lartigue  Arles France 1974  (p. 117)

I am not a great admirer of Adams' portraiture. However this image has everything going for it. It is well seen, powerful and the print very high quality.

Nevada Fall  Yosemite National Park  c. 1947 (p.121)

Really borders on Great/Wow but it does not make the 'Wow' category because of the blown highlights at the top of the fall. There is also the rather strange shaft of light that crosses from the left hand side of the image and catches the base of the trees on the right. It is difficult to decide where it has come from and seems unreal. There is also the trees on the right of the image that detract from the overall composition because they tend to 'block' entry into the image and they make the image unbalanced.

White House Ruin   (no other information)  (p. 129)

The dramatic striations on the cliff face lead the eye towards the main element of the picture. Unfortunately the 'white house' itself fails to retain interest. The development has created a bland, poorly contrasted main subject that is dominated by the area in which it is located. One would also question the decision to include the foliage at the bottom of the picture that seems to be unnecessary in portraying the overall message.

O.K.

Alfred Stieglitz, An American Place  New York City 1935 (p. 7)

For me the face of Stieglitz, surely the primary subject of the photograph is too small a part of the overall image. There is also a lack of definition on the left hand side of his face so that there is a sense of imbalance. One has to take into account that this was a 'grabbed'  image as Stieglitz walked towards Adams but I only know this because of the script of this section. In the Introduction (p vii) Adams writes: "I cannot, and will not, attempt to describe, analyze, or define the creative-emotional motivations of my work, or the work of others. Description of the inspiration or the meaning of a work of photography, or of any other medium of art, lies in the work itself." Whilst an approach that has a great deal to commend it to all photographers it does leave open the door to mis-interpretation by the viewer.

Boards and Thistles San Francisco  c. 1932 (p. 29)

If the image had been of the boards I would have rated the image higher, given the texture and lighting of this element of the photograph. It is the inclusion of the thistles that fail the overall impact of the image as there inclusion is difficult to understand. The structure and detail of this part of the image strike a jarring note.

Rose and Driftwood  San Francisco, California c. 1932 (p 33)

The combination of the two elements of this image does not work. The sworl pattern of the driftwood does not complement the structure and texture of the rose. It distracts and the eye flits from one to the other. It is a brilliant picture of the rose, one can almost feel the softness of the petals. The background, provided presumably by the driftwood, is fussy and inappropriate.

Carolyn Anspacher  San Francisco  c. 1932 (p 37)

I think that it is the strange lighting on the face that detracts from this image particularly the shadow under the eyes.. There is loss of detail in the back of the hair although this is of less importance.

Moonrise  Hernandez, New Mexico 1941 (p. 41)

Described by Adams as his most popular single image it fails to impress. The moon is a relatively small dot in the black sky and the eye.

Aspens  Northern New Mexico  1958  (p. 61)

An almost abstract image apart from the brightly lit tree in the left foreground. Does not quite work for me because of the presence of this tree which drags the eye back rather than allowing it to explore the right hand side of the image which is far more interesting. There is a second image in this part of the book that is just the right hand side of the first shown image which, for me, is a far better image.

Mount Williamson  (no other information)  (p. 67)

The rocks in the bottom half of the image dominate whereas the interest and better part of the image is at the top. It is almost as though Adams had taken to heart the common advice to have something in the foreground but in this case it has become an almost impenetrable barrier.

Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake Denali National Park Alaska 1947  (p. 75)

There is very little to commend this image with the blocked out shadows and the lack of any real detail in the water of the lake. Mount McKinley (I assume that is the massif in the background) appears surrealistic because of the way it has been exposed and developed. It reminds me of a meringue (Baked Alaska).

Rock and Surf  Big Sur California  c. 1951  (p.87)

The large rock in the foreground is superfluous (the rock on the water's edge provides an ideal foreground point of interest) and diminishes the far outcrop by comparison. Having said that there is a large amount of detail of interest in the picture including the clouds and overall the print is very good.

Farm Family Melones  California  c. 1953  (p.95)

My initial idea was to place this image amongst the 'Greats' but on further thought there was something about the composition that does not quite work. The figure in the foreground dominates the image and the other figures are (literally) in shadow. Had the image been entitled 'Patriarch' the portrayed relationship between the four people would better fit. The actual composition does not suggest 'family'. As a technical piece of work it is almost faultless.

Silverton  Colorado  1951  (p. 99)

The placement of the houses against the backdrop of the mountain does not work. It is difficult to decide context and the geographical relationship between the two elements - how close is the mountain to the houses?

The Black Sun  Owens Valley California  1939  (p. 125)

The only redeeming feature in this image is the stream and landscape elements in the right bottom corner of the image. The 'black sun' is just distracting and seems more like a mistake in development but as the accompanying notes explain it was a deliberate decision. The tree that dominates the left hand side of the image together with the ground upon which it stands is too dark and whilst texture is retained one cannot help feeling that concentration on this part of the image would have produced a much better picture.

Moon and Half Dome  Yosemite National Park  California  1960  (p.133)

An image that is possibly one of Adams' most famous images. For me the image is not 'great' because of the large black blob that dominates the left hand corner. One is left wondering what it is (could be someone's arm) and why it was included in the image. There is also the problem of the blocked shadows on the right hand side. Of course it is easy to criticise from the comfort of one's armchair as one does not know how much leeway to move was available.


Edward Weston Carmel Highlands   California c. 1940  (p. 145)

The balance between the subject and the surround is not right. It is difficult to decide what we are seeing - the image of a tree with the human figure there to provide scale or an image designed to illustrate the puny nature of man in nature. Much is revealed in the accompanying commentary but to take Adams at his word and to see the image as presented means that it is just confusing.

Sand Dune Oceano California  c.1950  (p. 149)

An image that does not quite make it.  Take away the title and it could be almost anything.

Nope

Frozen Lake and Cliffs  Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park 1932  (p. 11)

The image could almost be an abstract but we are told in the title what we are looking at. The image fails on a number of fronts. The blocked out shadows at the bottom of the picture leads us to a layer of snow that is devoid of detail. The snow at the bottom of the cliffs with what appears to be a rock fall within is a strange grey with a texture that may be real but which looks decidedly odd. Shadows on the cliff face are blocked out and overall I found it to be a very unsatisfactory image.

Surf Sequence San Mateo County Coast, California, c. 1940  (p. 22)

It was only by reading the accompanying notes that I could make any real sense of this image. This is largely due to being used to seeing the sky where the surf is in this picture.  Even knowing what it is there remains a sense of unreality. The composition leaves a lot to be desired and the three main elements (shadow, scree and surf) are in disharmony and fight for ones attention.

Lodgepole Pines Lyell Fork of the Merced River, Yosemite National Park c. 1921 (p. 49)

Reading the accompanying article one supposes that this image is an experiment in soft focus. The result is poor by any standards but this may be due to the lightness of the rocks and trees in the middle of the picture.

Early Morning, Merced River, Autumn Yosemite National Park c. 1950 (p. 53)

The eye finds it difficult to settle on any particular spot and the overall impression is of an image that tries to provide too much information. The is no doubt about the very high quality of the printing and the capture of detail and texture overall but as a composition it fails.

Martha Porter, Pioneer Woman  Orderville, Utah  c. 1961  (p. 71)

The subject of this image is Martha Porter but the dominant feature is the porch support on the right of the picture. Brightly lit and textured it immediately attracts attention and further study. The presence of the woman seems almost incidental. The portrait element fails to do justice to the subject and greater attention to lighting and developing to emphasise the character and life history etched into the face of this woman would have led to a much more striking image.

Buddhist Grave Markers and Rainbow  Paia, Hawaii  c. 1956  (p. 83)

My initial response was - this is awful. On further examination I feel I was being too kind. The rainbow could be anything. The jumble of grave markers with the white one on top is exactly that - a jumble.

St Francis Church Ranchos de Taos New Mexico  c. 1929  (p. 91)

It may be the limitations of the equipment used or difficulties with developing the image but this image is a massive disappointment. The most appropriate treatment would, I suggest, lie in deepening the shadows to emphasise the shape of the church and to bring out the texture. There is also a need for the introduction of a human figure or other marker that would give the viewer to make a clue to the size.  As shown it could be a child's sandcastle shot from low down.

Old Water Tower San Francisco  California  1961  (p. 159)

There is nothing about this image that attracts me. It is badly composed and the domination of the tower created by its central location in the image does not allow any judgement on its size and its relation to the surrounding buildings.

Winter Sunrise Sierra Nevada  from Lone Pine  California 1944  (p. 163)

A four layered 'cake' that fails to impress. The black mass in the middle of the image where there is virtually no detail gives the impression that there is a hole in the landscape upon which the sun lit mountain stands. A real disaster.

Graffiti  Abandoned Military Installation  Golden Gate Recreational Area  California  1982  (p. 167)

One is left wondering 'Why?'

"Pictures on a Page"

Part of a suggested reading list I have been reading "Pictures on a Page" (Evans H (1978) Pictures on a Page Pimlico Ed. London Pimlico) over the last few days. In essence the book is a primer for would be photojournalists and there is a great deal of information about the way such a person should work and a mass of examples from some of the best in the business. I am not quite sure why it was suggested that I read it as I have absolutely no intention of being a photojournalist. However on the the general principle that there is always something to learn from every source however irrelevant it may seem to be on first acquaintance I persevered.

My first response is that there is nothing in the book that is solely relevant to the world of the photojournalist. Emphasis is placed on the needs for good composition including cropping that is true for all photographs irrespective of purpose. There would be something seriously wrong if a student of photography had reached the final elements of the Course without having absorbed the fundamentals. He may choose to ignore them but he should at least understand why the decision to break the rules has been taken. We are also introduced to the work of the member of staff who has decided what story to pursue (and probably the line to be taken both by the reporter and the photographer) and the person who chooses the image to be published. Probably most photographers whether working for a paper or not has a person or persons in their life who have a similar function. Happily for the majority their livelihood does not depend upon the whim of an editor or the vagaries of news stories where the 'major' story is pushed of the pages by a bigger event. In essence there is nothing unique about the work of a photojournalist as is evidenced by the move by newspapers and magazines to reduce their full time photographic staff to an absolute minimum. Why face all the costs of a full time employer when the amateur is offering you images taken on a smart phone or a telephone call to the Press Association or Getty images will provide you with what you want?

Harold Evans worked as an editor with both the Sunday Times and The Times so it is inevitable that he will plead a special case for the single image in the newspaper over the newsreel beamed directly into our homes. His argument is based on his belief that the still photograph is akin to the way that we remember important events. He asks the rhetorical question of the reader how we remember the Vietnam war suggesting strongly that it will be through the impact of a single photograph. I am not convinced that this is generally true and certainly is not in my case. My memory is of the footage on television of the people being taken off the roof of the US Embassy. Similarly my memory of the Iraq war is of a newsreel fill of Cruise missile crossing the night sky to a destination unknown. In the latter case the reason why this is a strong memory is because the 'commentary' is by my son-in-law. An image, such as the children running away from a napalm bomb attack, is memorable because there is something about it that does not ring true and I am left with the wish that I could see both the beginning of the incident and the outcome. Images of the assassination of JFK fail to have the impact of film footage where, with knowledge already gained, we watch a smiling man accompanied by his wife being driven towards his death.

Evans does suggest that the single image can be "rich in meaning because it is a trigger image of all the emotions aroused by the subject" (p5). I agree that this is the strength of a single image providing we have some understanding of what we are seeing. It is also a weakness because our reaction to an image is largely controlled by our interpretation - an interpretation that depends, almost fully, upon our world view. Take as an example the famous Robert Capa photograph of the death of a fighter in the Spanish Civil war. How one interprets this photograph depends upon which side you see yourself on or whether it matters to you that someone has been killed in the fight for 'justice'.

Evans suggests (p13) that "We have learned to 'read' black and white photography so effectively that you are unlikely to have been actively aware that the pictures (in the book) were not in colour". He goes on "the black and white picture may appear more real than the colour picture. We have learned to supply our own colour information to a black and white picture". It has to be remembered that the book was written (1978) when virtually all images in a newspaper were black and white so that our learning was thorough familiarisation rather than a conscious action. Furthermore the majority of television until the late 1960's was black and white. The dominance of black and white in the media providing the general public with news information meant that black and white images were seen to be more truthful. I have given a considerable amount of thought to Evans' other assertions. Was I actively aware that 'the pictures were not in colour'. No - largely because my expectations were that the pictures would be in black and white.

The final assertion 'We have learned to provide our own colour information to a black and white picture' I believe to be tenuous at the best. As far as I am aware I do not 'colour' the image in my mind. I have to recognise that this may be, in part, because I have decided to study black and white photography for my major project so I am more interested in the range and quality of the many tones of grey. However as far as I am aware the only time I may colour the picture is when asked by someone else such as when I am showing my grandchildren photographs of their parents when young children (the ultimate parent's revenge!) and they ask the question what colour dress is mummy wearing.

Perhaps the part of the book that resonated most strongly with me was Evans' question "Is photography art" (see Introduction). He quotes Cartier-Bresson ("I don't know is photography is art or is not art") and tells us that Edward Steichen, who did not give a hoot in hell about photography as art, wanted it to explain man to man. Evans argues that the question has not become answered by the idea that - what is important is the soul of the photographer. He goes on "True some photographers may be inspired to imaginative exploration, but it will be a pity if concern with technique, and the externalisation of inner fantasies suborn the value of content.". I could not agree more. Self-indulgence in expressing ones innermost thoughts and fantasies through ones work is a recipe for disaster and yet is encouraged by academia. Perhaps all photographers should have a big sign above where they work - "How I see the world and represent it to mankind is solely mine. What is not mine is the way that the world will interpret my work. Genius needs to be tempered with reality."

Tom Brown

Just watched the BBC4 programme 'What do artists do during the day' which gave a fascinating insight into how Tom Brown works. He was not a photographer I knew much about and this may well be due to the fact that he has only recently been 'recognised' by the photographic world despite more than 30 years in the business. He himself seemed puzzled by the interest.

The programme followed him around and what we saw was a man almost totally obsessed by his activity. He would seem to spend virtually all of his time following his instincts -  the instincts being based on many years experience and a deep knowledge, through familiarity, of what he shoots. There is an honesty about the presentation and there is a diffidence about his approach to those he is photographing that is both charming and at the same time revealing of an underlying uncertainty about his acceptability. The results were images that were powerful and yet of ordinary people (not celebrities) and daily life. He talks of capturing the 'spirit' of what he sees and in all that we see he is very successful in achieving his aims.

Although being described as  landscape photographer he recognises in the programme that this may not be the case. Based on what we saw I would describe him as a 'street photographer' in the sense that he is out and about and shoots people and their surroundings. Many of his shown landscapes included people.

He talks of the struggle to survive as a photographer and it is here that we see the obsessive side of his nature. There is a commitment to his task that goes beyond reason for any ordinary man who tries to balance the demands of the various elements of his life. He talks of the financial problems he faced telling us that some years he made a loss. Clearly he is driven by his need to be a photographer. Although throughout the programme he was using digital cameras he talked of his days as a film photographer telling us that on a normal day he would shoot 3 or 4 rolls of film but on some days as many as 10 films. Film was expensive and there were also the development costs. It would appear that he did not develop or process his films.

A fascinating programme that gave us a glimpse into the live of a man for whom recognition has come late. One can only admire his tenacity and belief.

David Bailey's Stardust

Just watched the Sky Arts programme on Bailey's exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. A disappointing programme with the presenter feeling the need to explain everything away even to the extent of interpreting some of the images to Bailey himself. In fact the programme was largely 'talking heads' rather than allowing Bailey's work to speak for itself. I finally decided that the best way to proceed was to mute the sound and use the fast forward controls to concentrate on the images.

I will plan an actual visit at some time in the near future so that I can see things for myself.

Visit to Bradford - National Media Museum and impressions gallery

Was in the area having dropped off my work for Assessment for the Course Photography3 - Your own Portfolio. I decided to visit the National Media Museum where there were two exhibitions and also visit the impressions gallery (part of the City Library) where I knew there was also an exhibition.


"Copper Horses"    Chris Harrison  (National Media Museum - 15 Nov 2013 - 9th Feb 2014)

Chris Harrison was the 16th Bradford Fellow and the exhibition marks the end of his tenure of that post. Established in 1985 the Fellowship is a partnership between the National Media Museum, Bradford College and the University of Bradford. In this exhibition Harrison reflects "upon identity, class, British industry and the photographer's relationship with his dad." (extract from entry in the National Media Museums' web site - www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk).

The exhibition is broadly in two parts - a series of photographs of engineered parts and associated tools and oversized prints of Harrison's father gazing out to sea. However it would be wrong to think of them as separate entities because the two together give us a powerful insight into the nature of the relationship between father and son as seen from the viewpoint of the son. We are told that when Harrison was a boy "he believed that his father was a deep sea diver who had adventures every day. In reality, his dad worked in a factory as a precision engineer. By the time Chris had grown up he realised his father wasn't an adventurer. Instead, like many others, he worked hard to provide for his family in a difficult, skilled and often underappreciated (sic)job."  One cannot help feeling that there is a lingering sense of disappointment,on the part of the son, that the father was not the hero he had created in his mind as a young child.

Many of the images were accompanied by a hand written caption that usually started with the words - "me Dad" - as though there was a need in the author to confirm and re-confirm the nature of the relationship. It was, for me, difficult to shake this image and I found myself interpreting what I saw solely in the terms of the message that we were supposed to receive. The majority of the 'engineering' images were shot against what seemed to be an oily rag and whilst this may have been the intention the result was to take away, from the photographed objects, the sense of creation of precision items by a highly skilled worker. The other main background was what appeared to be a timber wall scarred and worn by time and marked by apparently random paint marks that again detracted, in some way, from the skills and pride that were so much part of the main subject of the photograph.

It is of significance that the written message that presumably was designed to guide our thinking distorted the visual impact of the images whilst, at the same time, the images in some way denied or at least detracted from the written message. It may be the case that this was Harrison's intention; to force the viewer to resolve the ambiguities between the written word and what was being seen.

The over-sized images of his father were, presumably, taken within a short space of time as the figure barely moves and it was only by closely examining the changes in head and hand positions that one could detect that they were not all the same picture. The most striking feature was the fact that the father had his back to the camera and there was a complete lack of 'intimacy' between the photographer and the subject. The person pictured could have been anyone. I came to these images as the final part of my tour of the exhibition so my responses were already conditioned by what had gone before. I found it impossible to shake the idea that there was a gap between the reality we were being shown, and asked to accept, and the message that came across on viewing all the images.

It is a dangerous road to travel when one exposes to the world at large the nature of a relationship particularly between members of the same family. One has to acknowledge the bravery of Harrison's attempt and especially in such a public way. It is almost certain that the message the photographer wishes to relay will become distorted through the lens of each individual's personal history. I have little doubt that those reading this blog will wonder about my relationship with my father!

"Open for Business" 9 Magnum Photographers (National Media Museum 31st Jan - 5th May 2014)

We are told on the National Museum web-site (www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk) that the exhibition is " the story of contemporary British manufacturing and industry told through the lens of 9 Magnum photographers: Jonas Bendiksen, Stuart Franklin, Bruce Gilden, David Hurn, Peter Marlow, Martin Parr, Mark Power, Chris Steele-Perkins and Alessandra Sanguinetti. They have photographed over 100 workplaces from traditional, handmade crafts to modern, intelligent automation; from foundries and assembly lines to research laboratories and high tech cleanrooms, showing an economic sector of extraordinary resilience and diversity."  The question to ask then is - Does it achieve its aim?

In a very real sense the task was impossible. Although the photographers visited over 100 workplaces not all of these were represented in the exhibition and the places visited are but a miniscule part of the vast and complex manufacturing industry in Great Britain. We also have to acknowledge that what we are shown is the product of the photographers selection of subject matter and whoever made the final choice.  There is a strong tendency amongst curators and others to set out on a project that has no chance of succeeding, no matter how talented the photographers, and then in the blurb that accompanies the work trying to justify in grandiose terms the content of the exhibition.

Having said that the quality of the individual images and the impact they make is well worth the trip. As always what one sees as being the best part is down to one's own past and set of norms. In my case the 'best' picture was the close in shot of the work on the Aircraft Carrier. The sheer size of this boat is brought home when one 'sees' the solitary figure in white overalls and safety helmet that is dwarfed by all around it. It could also be argued that the building of a Carrier at enormous cost that is highly unlikely to have to be used in anger and that could have been built for far less cost in a foreign shipyard sums up the approach of those with the purse strings to how we invest in our dying industries.

A close runner up was the photograph of the Pelamis wave machine. A dramatic shot that needs a caption to make sense of. Here the viewer is given few clues as to the nature of the beast in the image and could have been a submarine surfacing. Once more we can see the image as a reflection of the British approach to the development of new technology which ebbs and flows like the tides that drive this machine. However it is necessary to have some understanding of the politics of such decisions and their history to make sense of what is being shown. On their own few if any photographs convey a clear and unambiguous message and the photographer and the curator have to assume a level of knowledge amongst their clientele for images to make sense within the context of the overall purpose of the project.

"Day Dreaming About The Good Times" Paul Reas (impressions gallery Bradford 10th Dec 2013 - 8 Mar 2014)

The exhibition is described as the first major retrospective of work by the photographer who is stated to be in the information sheet available at the exhibition as one of the most significant photographers to emerge from the new wave of British colour documentary of the mid-1980's. The title is also the title of one of Reas' photographs which he took in Newport showing female workers in a factory making components for computers.

The 70 images on show include part of his series called "The Valleys Project", work undertaken for major manufacturers such as Volkswagen and assignments for national magazines. Reas tells us that he never set anything up and all the images were taken as the event was happening. I found the whole exhibition fascinating not only because of the quality of the work but also I was able to relate to many of the images being shown. Often I find that my response to an exhibition is dependent upon how much of the content has been, in some way, part of my life albeit at several times removed. I found this particularly true when visiting an exhibition where the the work of Don McCullin was on show. McCullin was a war photo-journalist who visited most of the worlds trouble spots during his long career. In the case of Reas' work although I hardly know Bradford I recognised the society and milieu in which the action took place.

Although this exhibition was an 'add-on', in the sense that I came across a mention of it purely by accident, it was for me the best of the day. I would recommend it to anyone.

On the Exhibition Trail

Spent yesterday in London visiting four photographic exhibitions that were of interest to me.

The Photographers Gallery 16 -18 Ramilles Street London

This is the first time that I had visited this Gallery. It offers five floors of activity/exhibition space that is accessible by lift. Although, as always, I found the lighting of the images poor (in one room there is a large window at one end that, at the time I was there, provided a great deal of light that meant at the opposite end of the room the images were almost invisible) so that there was a need to constantly shift ones position to avoid becoming the image oneself. This was a particular problem with David Lynch's work because of large areas of blocked shadows within his work. Why this problem cannot be solved beats me although, as I report later, the exhibition at the Science Museum did not have the problem because of careful lighting and offering the prints unglazed.

There were three exhibitions to see with the work of David Lynch,William S Burroughs and Andy Warhol on show.

David Lynch: The Factory Photographs.

To quote from the handout Lynch is reported to have said:"I love industry. Pipes. I love fluid and smoke. I love man-made things. I like to see people hard at work, and I like to see sludge and man made waste." Such an approach is clear from the images that were chosen which are dark and mediative almost to the point where the image is little more than a contrast between light and dark. Detail in the shadow was frequently indiscernible and one was left wondering what was hidden adding to the enigmatic feel of the work. Not all of the images worked for me and I was left with the feeling that many of the images failed to meet the criteria suggested by Lynch's desires.

Having said that there were a number that were outstanding and gripped my attention. This happened when some detail, perhaps small and possibly unintended by the photographer, piqued my interest and offered me a mystery that I wished to resolve, even though I knew that it was not capable of resolution. It is often the case that we place our own interpretation on an image to provide us with a coherent picture of what we are seeing and this happens most often when the actual image fails to provide us with sufficient information, of itself, to allow us the certainty of knowing. With some images I wondered what I would have made of them if there had been no title to the exhibition or one less definite in pre-conditioning thinking.

The question always is - Did I get anything from the exhibition?. Of course there is always something that impacts your thinking and will effect your future approach to photography so the simple answer is "Yes" but on the larger scale it is not a style that works for me and it is not one that I would consciously pursue.

The exhibition was accompanied by a sound installation created by the photographer. I was conscious of it only as an extraneous noise that was mildly irritating as though I was hearing something in another room that was only just audible and I could not decide whether I wanted someone to increase the sound level or use the 'off' switch.

Taking Shots: The Photography of William S. Burroughs.

The last thing that springs to mind when seeing the name "William S. Burroughs" is photography. His addiction to heroin and firearms, his wild man image and his literary accomplishments are the things that come immediately to mind. In this exhibition we are offered an insight into another facet of this multi-faceted character. An insight that also provides some clues to the underlying personality that made up this larger than life character.

The first thing that has to be said that if one is expecting to see outstanding photography, beautifully printed and presented only disappointment will ensue. Burroughs used drug stores for the development if his images and this is evident in the overall quality. Not for him the skills of the darkroom technician who strives to make the best possible image but a commitment to the  mechanistic processes of the drugstore that produced images lacking in contrast or definition. This approach would suggest that he did not care very much for the work he had done and that once taken the image was 'lost' to him. There was little care taken of the photograph once developed and his extensive 'collection' - if that word can be used for something that really was little more than a store of images that had survived albeit scratched, creased or torn. Yet in amongst all this apparent detritus we find glimpses of a caring, probably disappointed lover/person who had found a way of expressing his hidden persona if only for a brief moment of time.

One of the most moving series of a story told in linking images is the one entitled "What was, What Isn't". Starting with a shot of an empty bed that still shows signs of occupation it finishes with the bed fully made up and the viewer left wondering about the transient nature of those precious moments that can never be repeated and which we deny by removing any trace of their occurrence.

Also evident is Burroughs use of the collage where he chops and rearranges the parts of a number of photographs in an attempt to create new meaning. Whether he is successful in these attempts is impossible for the new viewer to decide because the resultant collage image is not grounded in a world that is understandable to anyone other than Burroughs whose thoughts at the time are unknown to us.

Perhaps with this work more than most the overall impression is structured by the awareness of the chaotic lifestyle of Burroughs. Is it being too fanciful to suggest that in photography and the ease with which it can be altered in so many ways to create a different reality, Burroughs attempted to make sense of a life that he no longer understood or could grasp as a whole. Perhaps this is the aim of many photographers where, through our photography, we create a world that exists only in our imagination or is so transient as to have no recognisable existence other than in the photograph.

Andy Warhol

I am not a lover of Warhol's work so was not expecting a great deal from the exhibition of his photographs. It was, therefore,  a pleasant surprise to discover that I was totally wrong in my preconceptions. They were very good both as a set and as individual pieces. The quality was very high and the subject matter well presented. I found myself lingering over most of the images and learning a great deal from the way they were presented. Most of Warhol's photography has not been shown which, given the quality of this exhibition, is a shame. It is said that his interest in phtography arose from his purchase of a small compact camera in the 1970's that he had with him at all times. He was a recorder of almost everything that he saw but his eye as an artist made the choices he made outstanding. Of the three photographers that I saw at the Photographers Gallery Warhol's was the outstanding exhibition for me.


The Science Museum  Exhibition Road London

Based in  the Media Space at the Science Museum this exhibition was well thought out and equally importantly well presented. The simple structure surrounding and supporting the prints complemented the images and the lighting was such that the viewer was able to avoid the dance of defeat usually experienced as one struggles to avoid the glare and reflections so common in most venues.

'Only in England' - Photographs by Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr

Tony Ray-Jones was little known at the time of his death in 1972 at the age of 30. There had been so little time for him to make an impact on the photographic world and one wonders what would have happened had he lived a normal span of three score years and ten. Although Ray-Jones would not know he had a lasting impact upon a young photography student at Manchester Polytechnic in 1971 - Martin Parr. This exhibition combined the work of the two that is so close in style and content that it was difficult to know who was the author of a particular image before looking at the adjacent caption.

The viewer is presented with a view of the ordinary (meaning non-celebrity status) people of Britain (predominantly Yorkshire) of the late 1960's. Beach and Chapel scenes dominate so that we are offered the British both relaxing on their annual holiday at the seaside and at their formal best as they worship at their Chapel. The quality and printing of the images is very high but their attraction lies in the story each tells and the cumulative effect as one walks round and ponders the exhibition. Both photographers manage to offer a humorous look at the British way of life but there is no sense of an underlying mockery. The comic is combined with the serious to offer us a balanced view of life as experienced by the people shown.

One of the best exhibition I have attended to date.

There is probably a reason for my very positive response and that is that I lived and worked in Yorkshire during this time so that the photographs on the stands bore a remarkable similarity to images in family albums (content if not quality). I could readily identify with the people shown and could relate the m to people that I knew. Time and again it was possible to say that "I knew someone who dressed/behaved like that" and the characters were similar to those that crowded the beaches that I knew and loved. I have very little doubt that we respond more readily to images that resonate with us in a personal way because they arouse emotions that still lie within us.


National Portrait Gallery Orange Street London

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013

Having visited the 21012 version I had told myself that I would not visit such an exhibition again because of the crowded facilities and the general standard of the work shown. However as I was in London anyway to see the other exhibitions mentioned in this blog I thought - Why not? Frankly I wished I had stuck with my original thought. For a National Institution the presentation of this major exhibition is appalling placed as it is in a small area that is woefully inadequate as though the Gallery wishes to suggest that it the exhibition is there under sufferance. When I visited it was almost impossible to see clearly any of the Prints because of the number of people in the space available far exceeded the capacity of the room so that any attempt to stand back from the large prints to be able to appreciate the work was doomed by the rush of people into the space just left that seemed, always to include the pixel sniffer who seems to believe that the best way to see an image is to wipe one's nose on the surface.

I persevered and in the brief glimpses I got I was surprised by the overall boring nature of the images on display. Almost all seemed to place the subject dead centre giving the impression of a posed image with all the attendant stiffness and sense of unreality. It was difficult to find any example of good portraiture in the whole collection. I expect to disagree with the choices for the awards because we are all different in what presses our buttons but normally I can see the reason why they were chosen. Unfortunately I could count on the fingers (excluding the thumb) the images that were worth a second glance.

Never again - but then I said that last year!


National Theatre South Bank London

Take a View - Landscape Photographer of the Year 2013

An exhibition that I enjoy visiting. The venue is excellent and the standard of the exhibits high. Even though this was my last visit at the end of quite a long day during which I seemed to have been walking and standing for ever it was a pleasure to be there. This year the overall standard was very high and the interpretation of the theme thoughtful and wide ranging.  Some of the images were stunning and virtually all worth a longer period of study. It was a real pleasure to see so many really good images in one space and I am glad I was not one of the judges.

The site choice, techniques and approaches varied enough to be thought provoking and landscape photography is the genre that most excites me in my own photography. I can only stand back in admiration for some of the work and only hope that one day I can be as good. Who knows I may even submit work one day.

General Summation

It does not take a genius to realise that I have a bee in my bonnet about the way that photographic works are presented. Some curators and gallery owners seem to care little about how the images are shown and yet as the Science Museum and the National Theatre have shown it is not beyond the wit of man to create an atmosphere in which the viewer can both see and enjoy the works on show.

As one would expect there were disappointments and positive surprises throughout the day in the images that I saw but overall it was a day I thoroughly enjoyed despite the blistered foot and the stiff legs. Some images on their own made the journey worthwhile and the immediate impact was to strengthen my commitment to photography. As always the proof of the pudding lies in the long term benefits that I will only come to know as I continue my journey of exploration and learning.

Eddie Ephraums

Yesterday (Sunday 12th January 2014) I travelled to Wokingham to hear a lecture given by Eddie Ephraums. (Eddie has his own web-site and also communicates via a blog and Facebook. It is suggested that you read these if you are interested rather than any potted version I would provide). The talk had been organised by the Thames Valley Digital Imaging Group and I had come across their article in the "Membership Matters" of the RPS Journal Dec 2013/Jan 2014. My interest had been sparked by the banner headline "BLACK AND WHITE". We were told that he would present two lectures - "Many Ways of Seeing" in the morning and "Language of the Print" in the afternoon. We were further informed that the morning lecture "looks at the way different camera types, formats and media affect our relationship with the subject" and the afternoon  lecture "addresses questions of what makes a print, 'speak', how we develop our own style of printing, what we can learn from looking at other photographer's prints, and whether digital photography has made us better printers." 

I saw in the lecture(s) an opportunity to think about my own approach to black and white work and the underlying, unstated foundations of black and white printing. That did not happen! Clearly the interpretation I had put upon the words in the article was different to what the lecturer intended because what I heard (and others may have done also) was a largely unstructured meander through the thinking of someone facing some sort of crisis in his professional life brought about by the realisation that 'amateurs' were prepared to lecture for nothing (the essential element of being an amateur!) and anyone with a mobile phone with camera facilities could get that all important shot beloved of the media so that making a living from photography was precarious at best and depressing at worst. I cannot deny that this may have been the intention all along and that my interpretation was wildly wrong. It does emphasise the risk we take in reading something through the filters of our own thoughts.

I was so fed up by the time we were approaching the lunch break I had decided to cut my losses and return home a wiser but poorer man. However the last 'slide' told us the key content of the afternoon lecture was "Books". I have more than a passing interest in producing books and thought 'Great - here is something that makes the 250 mile round trip worthwhile'.  I cannot deny that there were references to 'books' including a reference to 'Japanese stitching' which is a way of binding a book together and the creation of a concertina notebook. There was also discussion about 'gravure' printing; 'silver bromide' printing and 'platinum' printing. There was no explanation at all of what these terms meant or indeed the advantages or disadvantages. It so happens that I had read quite recently about these different processes so at least had some level of understanding but from the expression on some of the faces around me this was not general knowledge. We were also offered a brief introduction to typography. Ears pricked I waited for some nugget of advice that would assist me in the better use of typography to improve my work. I was not looking for a blow by blow description but I was expecting more than I got of which the most memorable part was a series of images of shop fronts or notice boards where the typography had clearly gone awry.

The final straw that broke this particular camels back was a question from a member of the audience who asked whether Eddie Ephraums used 'plug ins'. A simple question that elicited the reply -"No". This was followed by us being told of an image that he had seen of a walrus in which the skin folds and wrinkles of the creature were so sharpened as to spoil the picture. Here was the reason why plug ins were 'bad'! The fact that plug ins are a tool for people to use and if they are used badly it is the fault of the person using them rather than the software itself did not appear to have occurred. This was then followed by the declaration that he did not watch HD television because this suffered from the same fault. Suddenly the whole day became clear and the utterings understandable at least in the world of the lecturer. Having been ready to write off the day as a lesson learned here was something that forced me to think about all that I had heard. Admittedly it was not why I had attended the lecture but it gave me pause and made me think about the things that I have heard about photographers who set out to create a world of darkrooms, black and white, film photography and fuzzy images that the digital world seems bent on destroying. In that world the skills of the photographer, darkroom technician  and printer were recognised by due reward and the amateur was seen as someone who produced snapshots and not great photographs.

Nostalgia for times gone by, when the world was a safe and comforting place and we felt secure in our skin, is a strong human emotion even when we know that no such time existed. When things are difficult and life is throwing us a series of challenges that we feel less and less able to meet we have a strong yearning for times gone by. There is nothing more alarming than finding the certainties in our life are no longer certain and that the plans we made are no longer likely to bear fruit. Perhaps that is why we attempt to re-introduce tangible things that were part of that earlier and happier way of life. Perhaps the world was a better place when we saw it through a slightly out of focus, slightly fuzzy prism. I realised as I drove home, and when I wasn't cursing the traffic on the M25, that there was a strong possibility that my choice of black and white art photography as my major project for the Course was my own longing for a simpler world. Accepting this as a possibility enabled me to gain a great deal from the day that I had initially written off.