Most of the time, I like the photos I make. I like their graphic qualities, I like the colour stories they tell, I like the natural world they capture. But for years, I’ve always liked the way other photographers capture spontaneous images of people. Street photography, you might call it. A busy scene somewhere in India, or Sao Paulo, or Bradford, it doesn’t matter where, but an image that’s full of life, colour, texture and interest. An image that begs a question or that tells a story. I’m always impressed by the way someone can put themselves out there in that situation and capture an image of people that grabs our attention. Well known photographers like Dougie Wallace or Martin Parr, and Instagrammers such as at.sushi.photo or Sohail Kharmani are all the sort of image makers that I admire, for just this reason.
The truth is, I just can’t do that myself. I’ve usually found it almost impossible to capture that style of image; I think it’s all down to being very shy. Painfully shy, in fact, when I was young. I’ve got past much of my natural reticence now, but standing in the street and pointing the camera at people is still not something I can do. If, on the other hand, there is a measure of cooperation between subject and myself, well that’s a different matter. Making portraits is something I really enjoy.
Sarah, 2016
It’s hard to say what I’m looking for in a subject; I’m not consciously trying to show you, the viewer, some truth or emotion that’s lurking behind the subject’s eyes, but I still think the images work, and people do seem to like them, which is nice. I guess there is just something that most of us find fascinating when we’re looking at other people’s faces. Maybe we do try to read things into them, or maybe not, but we still manage to connect with people in a way that doesn’t really happen with other subjects.
Technically, I like to shoot fairly close, filling the frame, and I often use one of my Zeiss lenses, known for their high quality optics. Even so, I process the images using Photoshop and often soften the final image, at least in part, not so much to smooth out the skin or ease any creases, but to impart a bit of mystery, a slightly other-worldly look to the finished result. And just as I enjoy making the images, most of my subjects seem to enjoy the experience, too, so why not get in touch? I’m always on the lookout for new subjects, and you never know, you might just like the end result!