A
while a go I was reading one of Tim Clinch's articles, in it he
suggested that If you were thinking about becoming a professional
photographer you should read Annie Leibovitz at work as he considered
it a must. This prompted me to re-read it. Being well written, it is
easy going taking me no time at all to get through it.
When
Annie was young she was obsessed with making pictures so much so it
was impossible for her to leave the house without a camera. Annie
learned later in life that it was OK not to have a camera in front of
her face all the time and that some images should remain untaken.
Annie
Leibovitz started as a photo journalist progressing to commercial and
magazine work. The latter requiring a different approach which she
had trouble adapting to. This was because she liked the spontaneity
of photo journalism's, capturing the moment rather than having to
make up images to fulfill a brief.
One
of the things that struck a cord with me was the way she used her
medium format camera, she suggested it was unorthodox to hand hold
and move about the way you use 35mm. I have always used my Bronica
SQAi hand held in the way she mentioned. I have never considered it
to be unusual. Thinking on it, my Bronica has been swung through the
air unsupported from the first day I picked it up. It has been held
at arms length above my head to make a picture over the heads of a
crowd and out over the side of a bridge to look down on its side at
arm length so I can frame the picture. It has been up mountains,
round lakes, along coasts and beach's, through cities and on long
walks across country. All without the sight of a tripod. Admittedly
by the end of the day my arms feel like I have been weight lifting -
more so since I fitted a motor-drive to get round a problem and added
an eye level viewfinder. What I'm getting at is it is OK to read and
take note of what others do but do not let it stop you thinking
outside the box.
The
Bronica maybe my favourite camera to make images with, but sometimes I
long for days past when life was less weighty and the camera was a
Nikon FM.
 |
| Fg1 |
 |
| Fg2 |
Technical data:
Fg 1, FP4+ ISO 125, Developer ID11, Printed on Ilford Multigrade RC Gloss.
Fg 2, Out of Date Fujicolour, Edited in Photoshop elements.
