One of my OCA colleagues posted a link to a Don McCullen tube where he talks in overview about his photographic career and how is attempting to move from film to digital.
This is the link to the tube clip:
Don McCullen - Seeking the Light
I found this a very interesting article about a photographer who has had a career of over 50 years as photographer growing to almost icon status. He was very interesting and easy to listen to, a very humble man but also a very brave man. Whilst this is a slight Canon promotional film he talks about his growth from an "ignorant north london boy" and how his hard work has made him what he has become.
He is honest to explain how photographing in war zones has had a large impact on him and says how it has resulted in his photography bias toward somewhat dark images, reflecting some of his inner torment from what he has witnessed. Whilst he has since moved onto portrait, street and landscape images this darkness is visible within his images and I note that all those shown in the clip are in black and white.
The title seeking the light is about McCullen moving from a 50 year career in film photography to digital. His humbling and almost child like fear of moving to digital is very surprising to hear from such a great photographer.
What was fascinating was seeing some of his images and how explains how much easier his life could have been had digital photographic technology been around 50 years ago when he started and he is quick to point out that how better and how many more good images he could have had.
It was interesting to hear his view of digital chimping but of course a man of his skill would be very confident in "getting the shot". Of course chimping is not necessarily about the "oohs" and "aahs" but using it to recheck composition, exposure and histograms. Of course once you have your exposure right for the scene location constant image referral increases the chances of missing a "moment". I think this is McCullen's point
Interestingly Jeff Ascough, acting as guide for McCullen for the switch to digital, talks about the camera and lenses as just tools to taking images. This is often easy to forget as many people succumb to gear acquisition syndrome. I will for my next assignment revert back to using 2 prime lenses, a 20mm f/2.8 AFD and a 50mm f/1.8 AFD. Both cheap purchases second hand in the past and I'd like to get back to using my feet to help composition rather than rely always on a zoom lens to do it for me.
One of several poignant moments in the clip is when McCullen asks Ascough how to switch the digital camera on, revealing his starting position for moving to digital. Another was how many images he would expect to get as a keeper when spending an hour doing street photography at a market. McCullen's answer was "one". I think this is something us students should remember, that both patience and expectation setting is something we should remind ourselves of, the pro's will have many images they wont use just like us amateurs and so don't be afraid to try something and get it wrong, sometimes you will get that "decisive moment".
An exercise in the P & P module is about how space changes with light and McCullen refers to "light being your friend and your enemy" and how as a photographer you have to continue to challenge yourself.
I was a pleasure listening to McCullen speak and I will look at more of his work.
As I start to prepare for Assignment 3 I will look to take some more risk in my work and push on from what I may regard as comfortable
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