Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-03-21)

66 21 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

© TOM

STODDART

/HULTON

ARCH

VE/

GETT Y

MAGES

PhotographerandjournalistDamienDemolderhasworkedin thephotographicpublishingindustrysince 1997 andis theformereditorofAmateurPhotographer. Hewritesregularlyaboutphotography for a
number of leading publications and has also been a judge on a number of prestigious international photo competitions. See his websiteatwww.damiendemolder.com.

O

nlya very
smallpartof
photographyis
actuallyabout
cameras,lenses,apertures
andshutterspeeds.It’sa
terribleshameasthosethings
arerelativelyeasytomaster
andlifeasa photographer
wouldbeverymuchsimpler
if technicalitieswereallwe
hadtolearn.I spenta long
timelearningaboutthem,
anddon’tregreta minute
spentinthatpursuit,but
I havetoadmitthatinmy
earlydaysI assumedthat
extensivetechnicalknowledge
wouldleadautomaticallyto
photographicgreatness.
With(lotsof )time,ofcourse,
I cametoappreciatethat
creatinggreatpicturesis more
aboutthepersonyouare,your
understandingofthesituation
infrontofyou,having
somethinginterestingtosay
anda gooddealofquick
thinking.Asa slowdeveloper
theseessentialelementsare
absentfrommostofmyearly
efforts,leavingmewith
technicallycorrectpictures
thatdon’tholdmanynuggets of
intellectualexcitement.

Acontrolledsituation
Whathassparkedthistrainof
thoughtis thisstunningimage
byphotographicheroTom
Stoddart.Theoccasionwasthe
2008 ConservativeParty
conferenceinBirmingham,
andDavidCameronwas
ploughingthrougha series
of 22 TVinterviews.I
imaginethesituationwas
heavilycontrolledbyPRpeople
andthatCameronhadbeen
busyside-steppingthe
questionshedidn’twantto
answersohecouldpresenta
positiveimageofhimselfand
the party to the world.

Final Analysis

DamienDemolderconsiders...

‘David Cameron’, 2008, by Tom Stoddart

Photo Critique

Thepressureonhimmust

havebeenintenseatthattime

asthecountrywasinthe

throesofa dramaticfinancial

crisis,andtheLehman

Brotherscollapsehad

happenedonlya coupleof

weeksbefore.Theworldwould

havebeenlookingforanswers

heprobablydidn’thave.

I guessthisshotwastaken

betweeninterviewsandis

probablythemosthonest

illustrationoftheoccasion.

WiththePRmachineputting

allitseffortintokeepingup

appearanceswhilethebroadcasts

wererolling,thismomentof

truthslippedbetweenthe

sleepingsentrieswhentheTV

camerasweresilent.

Togetthiskindofshotyou

needtobefullyengagedwith

thesituationandtobereading

theactionasit happens.It

would be easy to shoot what is

expected– torecordimagesof

a PrimeMinsterconducting

interviewsata Party

Conference.Instead,by

keepinghisattentiononthe

subjectandunderstandingthe

crisisathand,Tomhas

divertedaroundthestage

managementtotakeustothe

coreofthemoment.His

picture,I’msure,revealsfar

moreabouttheoccasionthan

anyofthecarefullymanaged

TVinterviewscouldhavedone.

Thisisn’tjusta snapped

momenthowever.The

photographerhastakenthe

timetocomposetheelements

inthescenesothatwecan

concentrateonthesubject.

Cameronhasbeenpositioned

verycarefullybetweenthe

strutsofthewindow,neatly

withintheleftthirdofthe

frameandwehavea verynice

artistic refl ection in the table

top.TheTVcameraonthe

rightexplainsthecontext,and

byprinting-inthebackground

• whichnodoubtneededsome
  heavyfingerrubbinginthe
  developer– wegettoseesome
  ofBirminghamtoo.
  Ofcourse,thereasonTom
  wasabletoseethispictureas
  wellascaptureit inthefew
  fleetingmomentsCameron
  hadhishandtohisface,is that
  hewascompletelyfamiliarwith
  hiscameraandfullyconversant
  withthetechnicalities
  requiredforexpressinghis
  messageina photograph.
  Technicalitiesarenotenough
  ontheirown,andmorethan
  oncea goodeyeanda quickwit
  havebeenshort-changedbya
  lackofpracticalknowledge.
  Forconsistentsuccess,andto
  bephotographyheroes,wealso
  needtonurtureboth sides
  of the discipline.