Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-06-21)

66 15 June 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Final Analysis

TimClinchis 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...‘Wayne,New Romney,

Kent’, 2019, by Edward Thompson

Photo Critique

T

hisis thefirsttimeI amwriting
aFinalAnalysisandwhen
I wasdiscussingit withthe
commissioningeditor,sheasked
meif I wouldliketochoosethepicture
underdiscussionorwhetherit shouldbe
chosenforme.AsI feelthatgettingoutof
ourcomfortzoneis veryimportantwhen
thinkingaboutourphotography,I chose
thelatteroption,andthispicturesumsup
whyI feelI madetherightdecision.
I lovethisportrait.Thesimpleframing,
thecoloursandthediffidentlookinthe
subject’seyes.I grewupinSouthEast
EnglandandknowtheRomney,Hythe&
DymchurchLightRailway.Infact,when
I wasa kid,myparentsusedtotakeme
thereasa treat.Thispictureperfectly
capturesmymemories,withoutinany
wayfallingintoanyofthe‘faux-vintage’
post-productiontechniquesthatareso
prevalentthesedays.It encapsulatesthe
eccentricityoftheEnglish.Those
obsessed,slightlybonkers(ina GOOD
way!)gentlemenwhodedicatealltheir
sparetimetotherunningoffunnylittle
steamrailwaysliketheRH&D and the
nearbyBluebellRailway.

Overlooked
However,muchasI loveandadmirethis
photograph,I havea slightproblemwith
therestoftheseriesand,hadthepicture
notbeenchosenformeI probablywould
haveoverlookedit.
I havealwaysbelievedthatit is much
easiertotakea depressingphotograph
thana happyone,andsomanyofthe
‘important’photographiccompetitions
thesedaysbearthisout.TheSonyWorld
PhotographyAwardsandtheTaylor
WessingPortraitAwards(surelysoonto
berenamed‘TaylorDepressing’)have
spawnedseriesafterseriesofvery
predictableimages.Weallknowthem.
Theginger-hairedfrecklykidholding
a guineapigstaringsullenlyatthe
cameraina desaturatedandthoroughly
glumurbanlandscapeona wet
WednesdayinWigan.
Theseriesthatthisimagecomesfrom,
‘IntheGardenofEngland’,depressedme.
Maybeit wasmeantto?Maybeit is the
insistence these days on the use of slightly

overexposedcolournegativefilm?Maybe

it is thesubjectmatteritself(Imyself

havenotlivedintheUKformanyyears),

ormaybeit is whatI perceivetobethe

slightpredictabilityofphotographic

awardsthesedays?

Thepictureoftheenginedriverlooksa

littleoutofplaceamongtheothersinthe

seriesasit is whatI woulddescribeasa

‘classic’ portrait. It is, as I said earlier,

beautifullycomposed,tomyslightly

jaundicedeye,correctlyexposed,and

veryevocative.

EdwardThompsonis a verygood,very

accomplishedandveryinteresting

photographerwhoseworkcanmakeme

beamwithpleasure(his‘Royalists’series,

forinstance),butthereseemstobea

predictabilityaboutthejudgingofmajor

andimportantphotographicawardsthat

is breedinga ‘look’withoutwhich

your work will simply not register.

EdwardThompsonplaced3rdin theProfessional,Brief

categoryattheSonyWorldPhotographyAwards2019.

For more information, see worldpressphoto.org.

© EDWARD THOMPSON, UNITED KINGDOM, 3RD PLACE, PROFESSIONAL, BRIEF (PROFESSIONAL), 2019 SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

‘I lovethisportrait.The

simpleframing,the

coloursandthediffident

look in the subject’s eyes’