Last Friday members gathered in their club premises and by Zoom and were well entertained by two of their cohorts Peter Hughes and John Miskelly who highlighted the influences in their photographic journey .
Peter Hughes ARPS - A Lifetime's pursuit of the unattainable
Peter commenced by saying he had been a member of BNDCC for thirty years which is almost his lifetime as a photographer with the club, and tonight he had been asked to do the warm up act.
Peter displayed a mixture of images those that have given him pleasure to , both take and view and what they mean to him.Seeing and taking is an essential concern in photography.
The ideal is to start with the best hopes but it is often hard work to achieve the best.
Two photographers much admired by Peter are Don Mc Cullin and John Blakemore.
Don Mc Cullin is a photo journalist who has devoted his life to photographing war and conflict between 1950 to 70's and 80's his work is a link between conflict,humanity and where we stand today. Conflict has dreadful sameness “you sleep with the dying you cradle the dead you live with the living who become the dead “ Don McCullin said. To get close without being seen is the photographers aim in conflict photography.
McCullin quoting from Joseph Conrad said “to make you hear -to make you feel -to make you see” is what he wished to achieve. After retiring as a photo journalist and in his personal work Don Mc Cullin traveled in India where he saw the human qualities of fortitude ,compassion and dignity in ordinary people.
Peter revealed that it was his father who had given him his first camera who had been a a significant influence on his photographic development.
Also painting has been important to Peter particularly Turner master of light and shade ,and also the essence of photography.
Turning to John Blakemore whose life as a social documentary ,landscape , still life and production of hand made books photographer provides Peter with much inspiration and his exploration of tulips is to invite one to look anew at everyday subjects.
Blakemore's exploration of movement induced by the wind in landscape photography provides Peter with much pleasure.
To finish Peter said something of his own development as a photographer through the Royal Photographic Society and his achievements in Licentiate, Associate, and now working towards a fellowship. Peter then displayed some of his own images in landscape, street architecture and people photography, both at home and abroad, in which the chases the light and the uniqueness of his vision . Motor racing is also explored by Peter in pursuit of his photography.
John Miskelly FRPS, FBIPP, FIPF - Landscape and Fine Art Photographer
John commenced his talk listing the following which are important influences in his life as a professional photographer. While he has no wish to imitate the work of others never the less being aware of excellence adds to the pleasure of his involvements .
Artists from the past,going to galleries, books, magazines,including National Geographic and the imagery therein. Also Oceanographic and social media with Instagram in particular an excellent source to trawl ,exhibitions not only painting but all works of art such as ceramics.Finally nature itself ranks high as John is out and about in his professional work.
John referred to photographers much admired Michael Kenna and Bruce Percy but tonight to be a little bit different John mentioned some who he had encountered on Instagram Jan Erik Waider a German photographer and visual artist who spends his time in the colder parts of the world Greenland ,Norway ,the Artic circle .Jan talked about the slow conscious travel where he takes his time to compose his imagery often photographing the same thing but from different angles.discovering hidden elements and locations are an essential aspect of practice for an landscape photographer like John.
A slideshow of Jan's image was displayed enabling members to appreciate this artists work , shooting in Greenland in moonlight where he focus on the shape of cracking in ice.Photographing in mountain regions is admired by John who as a skier is no stranger to the wilderness regions of the planet
Abstract shots of lava flows in Iceland are explored by this photographer.
ICM intentional camera movement capture is also explored. Photographing waterfalls in Iceland but getting close up to enable the capture of abstract shapes give a very different view from the normal tourist photography.
Next John displayed the work of an Australian photographer Warren Kellan .
Warren started as a surfing photographer but has now drifted away from that to concentrate on abstract wave photography . In pursuit of this kitted out in a wet suit and with his camera and lens secure in an underwater housing Warren ventures in among the waves to produce stunning imagery .
Another significant photographer for John is David Michael Kennedy whose career had spanned media photography in New York but later moving to New Mexico.
Michael prints his work using the Platinum Palladium process which dates back to a period of time before Silver Gelatin and where prints are exposed by UV light.
Amongst those who he has photographed are Blondie,Willie Nelson,Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.