The title photograph is by Ian Welsby

This week we had Tony Othen and Aaron Collins addressing the theme “Why I Take Photographs” with accounts that took us from Tony’s analogue work in the 1960s,   His interest in photography started his school days, and has continued and developed until the present.

From Tony’s notes:

Then and Now – Contradiction and Juxtaposition
Five decades ago- current
Colour – Black and white
Commissioned – non commissioned
Engagement – observation
Content – Graphic Impact

Contradiction is often to be seen within my photographs and so perhaps points to some inner conflicts…   Contradictions  in size, place, texture and shape.   I often…take the same kind of view whether it be a window shutter or person.   It is almost whenever I lift my camera one such person or object is there begging to be photographed.

Tony’s early work:

This collection of work demonstrates a contradiction o purpose, subject and engagement.   The contradiction of purpose comes from the reason for which the photographs were taken. The early Black and Whites were taken to encourage young people to get involved with volunteering to help a variety of people of all ages in a variety of countries.

The contradiction of engagement is revealed in my relationship to the subject. The early ones often required me to set up apparatus in the subject’s home and to talk to them about what I was doing and why I was doing it. I sought their cooperation and the selection of the picture rested with my conscience. I often had to imagine and to seek clues as to what the place was like before I came in and destroyed the ambiance.

The colour ones are my holiday snaps. I appear, endlessly, to see contradictions in size, place, texture and shape. I often find myself drawn to take the same kind of view, whether it be a window shutter or a person. It is almost that whenever I lift my camera one such person or object is there begging to be photographed.   Rarely do I sit and wait, rarely do I manoeuvre myself into a better position, rarely do I engage
in post image cropping – it is just there pleading to be recorded. A zoom lens is my only selection tool.This collection of work demonstrates a contradiction o purpose, subject and engagement.

 

 

 

Aaron, our most recent member of the group, has, like Tony, had an early interest in the pictorial aspects of wherever has has found himself – and that covers a number of countries.   His first cameras were digital hand-me-downs from his father and much of his later work has been with newer digital and fairly high spec phone cameras.

 

I won’t try to reconstruct the discussion that Aaron and Tony’s presentations engendered.   We generally agreed that when you’re holding a camera pictures almost demand to be taken and it is afterwards that you discover what you saw.

 

Our first meeting in 2025 will be on January 11th.