Black & White Photography - September 2015 UK

80

B+W

I took up photography because...

I became fascinated by the natural

world and wanted a way to express

my personal visions of it.

Tell us about your favourite

themes and genres.

Landscape photography is my first

love, but I shoot architecture too.

My passion for the outdoors was

triggered by The Lord of the Rings

film trilogy. The real scenery and

the digitally created composites

simply blew me away. Since then

I have travelled and hiked in some

amazing locations.

Name one item that every

photographer should own.

Natural instinct for a good

picture. Being able to recognise

the photographic potential

of a scene, and act on it

appropriately, is essential.

What’s the biggest risk you have

taken as a photographer?

I have had a few ‘ interesting’

moments out in the field, but my

biggest gamble came early on

when I damaged my Nikon D700

in a kayaking incident – it was

less than a month old. Buying a

Nikon D800 to replace it was a

big financial risk, but the trauma

of the loss made me much more

focused, and helped me to become

the photographer I am today.

Which photographic habit do you

wish you could shake?

GAS (Gear Addiction Syndrome).

I have a tendency to lust after

new lenses, but in reality I know

that a successful photograph

can be made with the simplest of

equipment if the vision behind

it is good enough.

Who has been the greatest

influence on your photography?

I am greatly inspired by Joe

Cornish and David Ward. I love

the romanticism of Joe’s rugged

highland landscapes and rocky

Scottish beaches. His images are

All images © Ajit Menon

FEATURE

60-SECOND EXPOSURE

With a background in visual effects, Ajit Menon discovered a love of landscape

photography through watching The Lord of the Rings. Since then he has been creating

images of beaches and mountains, architecture and animals. Edited by Tracy Hallett.

The Standard Hotel, Manhattan.

Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland.

so precise: the light is perfect,

and he has a natural ability

to catch a scene at its most

beautiful, with great calmness.

His layering of foreground,

mid-ground and background is

quite exemplary. In many ways,

David is the exact opposite of

Joe: he tends to ignore the wider

vista in favour of more intimate

abstracts. Although I haven’t

photographed much in this style,

I find David’s precision and

attention to detail extraordinary.

‘Natural instinct for

a good picture. Being

able to recognise the

photographic potential

of a scene, and act on

it appropriately,

is essential.’

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