74 30 November 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
Final AnalysisTimClinchis anaward-winningprofessionalphotographerwithover 40 years’experience.OvertheyearsTimhasworkedin mostareasof theprofession,hashadhisworkpublished in magazines worldwide,
and has had more than 30 books published featuring subjects as varied as interiors, travel, food and portraits. To see his work,visitwww.timclinchphotography.com.
TimClinchconsiders...‘Tokyo Lex’ fromInvisible Jumpers by Joseph FordPhoto CritiqueI
was 13 whenI firstbecameaware
ofthelife-changingfactthat
photographycanconveyemotion.
I canpointtotheexactmoment
becauseI knowthatit wasa fewdaysafter
I hadexperiencedanotherlife-changing
moment,namelythefirsttimeI heard
PurpleHazebyTheJimiHendrix
Experience.Huddlingunderthe
bedclothes,twiddlingthedialona tinny
transistorradio,thesoundthatcameout
changedmeinstantlyandI knewthen
thatnothing–nothing– wouldeverbe
thesameagain.
A fewdayslater,PurpleHazestill
runningaroundmybrainlikeanover-
excitedpuppy,I firstsaw‘MigrantMother’,
DorotheaLange’siconicphotographfrom
1936.I can’trememberwhereit wasthat
I sawit – presumablyinoneofmyfather’s
books– butit stoppedmeinmytracks.
Thesadnessinthewoman’sblank
expression.Theobviousdesperationand
grindingpovertyofDustBowlCalifornia.
Herchildrenclingingtoherragged
clothes.Evenasanempty-headed
teenager,I wasmovedtotears.Justas
withHendrix,I knewatthatmoment
thatmylifehadchangedforever.
Fromthenon(alongwiththesad
knowledgethatnomatterhowhard
I tried,I wouldneverbegoodenoughon
theguitartobethepopstarthatI wanted
tobe)I devouredphotography.I becamea
regularatthelibrary,orderingbooksfrom
farandwide,andtryingtofindoutas
muchaspossibleaboutmynewpassionby
studyingthemasters.Stieglitz,Penn,Julia
MargaretCameron,WalkerEvans...The
DaybooksofEdwardWeston, I poredover
theimagesanddecidedthatthiswaswhat
I wanted,if possible,todowithmylife.
SoovertheyearsI haveexperienced
almosteveryemotionthatphotography
canshowus.Sadness,desperation,fear...
seenbeauty,sensuality,perfection...
marvelledatthegreatnessofthe
landscape,thestrengthofa portrait,the
sheerhorrorsofwar.However,oneofthe
thingsthatI haveexperiencedleastofall
inphotographyis perhapsoneofthe
greatestthingsinallofour lives. Laughter.Ahappychallenge
Now,I havealwaysmaintainedthatit
isfareasiertotakea miserablephoto
thana cheerfulone.Honestly?Youcan
makeanythinglookabsolutelybloody
awfulwiththeminimumofeffort.But
takinga picturethatliftsthespirits?
Makinga cheerfulimagethatgladdens
theheartwithoutbeingtoocheesy?
Muchmoreofa challenge.
Soimaginetheskillinvolvedinactually
makingyourviewerlaugh.Outloud.
BeforeI sawthisbook,therewerea few
photographerswhoseworkhadmade
mesmile,butI’dalwaysbelievedthere
wereonlytwowhocouldincitelaughter.
ThewonderfulSpanishphotographer
ChemaMadoz,and,ofcoursethemaster,
ElliottErwitt.Particularly his wonderful
pictures of dogs.Well,pleasewelcomea newmember
tothisparticulargroup.Photographer
JosephFordandhiswonderfulbook
InvisibleJumpers. It is anabsolutely
delightfulcollection:funny,silly,
irreverent,absurdandsometimesjust
plaindaft.I enjoyedeverysinglepicture
andclosedthebookwitha hugesmileon
myface,andI wantedmore.
Alongwiththebrilliantknittingskills
ofNinaDodd,Mr.Fordhascreated
somethingveryspecial.Hehasmadethe
photographsworkperfectlyandflawlessly,
andthesheerjoythattheybringhidesa
hugeamountoftechnicalskill.Thereal
skillbeingthatI didn’tnoticejusthow
clevertheywereuntilI lookedatthem
forthesecondorthirdtime.Makeno
mistake,alongwithwhatmustbea great
senseofhumour,JosephFordis a very
finephotographerindeed.So,thankyou.
You’vemadea (slightlycynical)oldman
veryhappy!
Thisimageis takenfromthebook
InvisibleJumpers, £12.95published
by Hoxton Mini Press.© JOSEPH FORD 2003-2017. THIS IMAGE IS TAKEN FROM THE BOOK INVISIBLE JUMPERS, £12.95, PUBLISHED BY HOXTON MINI PRESS‘I enjoyedeverypicture
andclosedthebookwith
a hugesmileonmyface,
and I wanted more’