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It must have been rather fab to research this, and it's terrific to encounter artists involved in the genre.
- milouvision, 11:20 16th Junon Camera Survey
It might be interesting to see how the votes would stack if you asked in three months to repeat the survey, I for one missed the original request. It's a very interesting survey and nice to see that Pentax still have such a large following, likewise the medium and large format categories, [...]
- Douglas Salteri, 08:54 16th Junon Is Adobe Creative Cloud Bad For Photographers?
Great article Paul! I hope Adobe will continue to develop Photoshop with new features for photographers. I would love some new adjustment layers, how about midtone contrast (a.k.a clarity)?
- Magnus Lindbom, 07:32 16th Jun
Book review - Terra Borealis, Friedlander & Shoshone Falls
Tim Parkin
Your humble editor, ex-mathematician, A&R for U2, web developer to the Queen, guitarist and general geek-boy.
Other articles by Tim Parkin
Pinhole photography is photography taken to it’s most simple form. Just a small hole and some photosensitive material. There are a few people in the UK who have really mastered using this technique (see Paul Mitchell’s work in one of our featured photographer issues). Steve Gosling has mastered this process over the years and has produced a wonderful book of ‘Lensless Landscapes’ which we have featured in a review elsewhere this issue. We caught up with Steve at his home in Harrogate and asked him a few questions about his work.
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I picked up a signed copy of Steve’s book at Joe’s gallery after having seen the exhibtion. Great stuff. I particularly loved Steve’s take on Brimham Rocks in any case. Superb – what’s next?
Hi Mark – thanks for your positive comments. What’s next? Good question. I’m continuing to explore pinhole photography – as I said in the interview, I’m keen to see what I can achieve with a digital camera and pinhole conversions. I’m also continuing to develop my work with ‘alternative optics’ e.g. Lensbaby, plastic lenses as part of my ‘Imperfect Impressions’ project (I’m hoping that another book will come from this in the next twelve months). And away from techniques I find that I’m getting motivated by different subjects these days – urban landscapes & street photography both in the UK and abroad (I’m particularly attracted by surreal & intriguing subjects where the content isn’t immediately apparent). Traditional landscapes will always be my first love and I’ve still got things I want to say in this area but its good to diversify from time to time – its keeps the creative juices flowing!
Thanks tim for arranging this one and ofcourse steve for doing it with you, really enjoyed it. Reference coloured filters on the zero, i use 55mm colour filters removed from their brass rings and use blutack to fasten them to the inside back of the pinhole….
Hi Richard – glad that you enjoyed the interview. If you can get them then coloured gel filters fixed to the inside of the camera work as well.
Loving this interview, I’m really enjoying Steve’s attitude and approach. I’ve enjoyed his images for years so this insight into his approach to making images that please himself is incredibly refrshing.
Hi Richard – glad that you liked the interview and thanks for your interest in my work (although I take images for me it’s always good to know that someone else enjoys them!).
When all we had was pinhole photography people would have killed for digital perfection. Now we have digital perfection, we crave the grunge of analogue unpredictability.
I too have recently rediscovered my analogue cameras and am greatly enjoying a semi analogue workflow but scanning my negatives.
It’s lovely to see somebody making a living from creating beautiful images with these alternative processes which I notice are gaining real popularity in communities like flickr. Next stop cyanotypes Steve?
This has been the most enjoyable episode of the magazine yet, one thing I would have loved to have seen however was how you work with your pinhole in the field… although it may not make for great video action
Hi Dan – thanks for your comments. I agree that it is ironic that as the photographic world gets more predictable and perfect the more some of us search for imperfection and uncertainty. I’m certainly guilty of that. Ultimately though it doesn’t matter how we get there – its the final photograph that really matters. I’ve just delivered a range of prints to a gallery and the photos were taken on everything from a Leica M9 and my iPhone – will the buyers of those prints care? No of course not – what they are buying is the final image.
I think you’re right – a video of me using my pinhole camera would be a lot less exciting than watching paint dry or a cricket match (sorry cricket lovers!).
I really enjoyed this interview – mainly because it was so nice to see someone who has a creative vision and uses cameras (what-ever sort) to fulfill that. This reminds me of Chris Friel in the sense that the camera is used as a tool to make real what is imagined.
As a relative newcomer to this whole game I’m am slowly learning about the need to be considerate and sensitive to what you are trying to create – this certainly gives more credence to the fact that good photo’s like Steve’s are ‘made’ not taken!
Oh, and as someone who has a wife who doesn’t get my need to take pictures of stuff and often looks at my screen and often sighs disapprovingly I can empathise with what Steve said regarding his wife and mothers dismissal of many of his images!
Hi Nigel – glad that you enjoyed the interview. You’re right the camera is just a tool – what is most important is that the photographer has something to say, something to communicate. Having said that it’s important to find a camera/system that you feel comfortable with and becomes intuitive to use – sometimes the technology can get in the way of (rather than help) the picture taking process; hence my preference for fairly simple equipment.
On the subject of feedback I like to get a variety of opinions on my work (and it’s always good if they are postive!) but ultimately its down to personal taste and opinion which is why I believe it important to stay true to your instincts and tastes to develop your own style and vision. Feedback is helpful along the way but learn to develop a thick skin and a lot of faith in your own approach. However I believe we should always be open to new insights and guidance – I’ve tried to remain receptive to new learning regardless of how long I’ve been taking photographs. The day I stop learning through photography – about the process, about the subject or about me – is the day I’ll put my cameras away for good.
Hi Steve,
How wise you are to keep an open mind… Perhaps this comes from those years of hard toil as a trainer?…. I think it’s just too bad when people become unteachable – whatever the field!
Hi Steve – stunning stuff as ever. And wise words. As you note above the equipment can truly get in the way. I have a dslr with so many buttons on it I think it could fly to the moon but I don’t actually know how to use 90% of them. I still use it as an old FM2 but with the addition of a histogram and the lcd preview which are invaluable to me. Your purity leaves me reeling in admiration,
Hi Ted – thanks for the comments; much appreciated. I find simplicity suits me best (probably says something about my IQ!!).
Hi Steve
Congratulations on your inspirational interview. As a great admirer of your work, I can now relate to the real person with a great attitude, and a passion that, I know will steer me in a new direction with my landscape photography.
Hi Ian – many thanks for your comments and I hope that your new direction proves to be fruitful and satisfying.
What a fascinating interview and a wonderful set of images!
I’ve just got round to watching this (been very busy, and the feature film length was intimidating!) and I shall now be watching it again in the near future. Steve’s images are, to me, really marvellous; exceptional delicacy and simplicity and the results really are mesmerising. Steve’s approach is very appealing to me, and it was conveyed very well. What shines through in particular is Steve’s creativity and vision and willingness to both experiment and diverge considerably from ‘reality’ (whatever that is) in making images.
Thanks for a great interview and for introducing me to Steve’s work; more than worth the nearly two hours run-time! I think I may revisit my little-used Lensbaby in the near future.
Mike
Thanks Mike – I’m really glad that you enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing some of your Lensbaby images in the near future!