F
CUS Photography
Creative VS Academic
A students guide to photography
The world we live in is such a visual place. From the newspapers we read to the magazines we flick through, photographs are a key communicator amongst people today. Not only are they used by a means of highlighting a story or selling you a product, but they can also be appreciated in an artistic manner, published for the viewer’s pleasure. Photography, like many other creative subjects, can be a hard industry to break into; who better to understand the difficulties faced in the photography world, than the up and coming generation studying the art itself; the student. Rosie Milligan studies photography at the City of Glasgow College. Working towards her degree, the 20 year old from Ayrshire has always been keen to get behind the lens to capture a moment. From digital to disposable, Rosie snaps away creating her striking portraits that tell a story. The young photographer, along with many others heading down the same career path, faces many challenges in her studies. Being a student can be tough work as people still consider you to be a ‘learner.’ When asked about the difficulties she faces in the photography field, Rosie says: “Modelling agencies tend to prioritise professionals rather than students when it comes to getting a model; and if some models have started to get a name for themselves then they’re like impossible to get unless it’s a proper magazine or editorial thing. And being a student obviously means having a student budget and camera gear to buy or rent and getting prints is so expensive.” Difficulties not only present themselves with getting work and making a name for yourself but also within the subject being studied. Rosie admits that at times it can be hard studying something creative but having to remain academic. “We have to do a lot of paperwork! For each class we should have a workbook that shows our plans and what we did etc, but its so time consuming and I always find myself totally hating my workbooks and criticising myself and it’s an endless cycle. I do understand the purpose of them but I feel it could be done in a different way.” This academia follows photography in the form of justification; allowing the students to look deeper into the meaning of their work, justifying their reasoning behind a specific picture or series of photographs. This explanation forms a bond with the viewer, letting them connect with the person behind the camera. “I’m actually doing a series right now that’s a kind of ‘coming of age’ thing, about me and how I’ve changed as I’ve got older and what it’s like to be a girl. I know I’m not well known but I hope that girls who do see it will just get it. I like it when people see parts of my personality in my photos because that’s the only way I actually express myself.” Being in a highly competitive industry, Rosie acknowledges that she needs to promote her work to get herself noticed. With the world being so heavily involved with social media, she realises this is an easy yet effective way to show off her photos. “I post a lot of my photos on Facebook, tumblr, other social networking things. I know a lot of people have business cards that they hand out but I know that when someone hands me a business card I never look at it again so I don’t know how effective that really is. I think just meeting and working with the right people, shooting as many events or whatever as you can and posting your work online for others to see is the best way to get your name out.” Considering life after college and when she is thrust upon the feeding frenzy of others in the industry, Rosie discusses the area of expertise that she would like to work in. “I really like documentary photograph because it says so much and there’s always going to be something to document you know? I love fashion too obviously but I haven’t tried it as much as others yet. I’d like to be a still photographer, the guy that takes photos behind the scenes on movies and does the promo shots and stuff, when I leave college because I’d get to do what I love and be involved in the film industry.”
To view more of Rosie’s work, visit her facebook page at www.facebook.com/RosieMilliganPhotography
Gary McLaughlin Photography
Anyone can take a photo
But not everyone can be a photographer These days and with this ‘digital age’ that we’re forever banging on about, it seems that technology has the majority of us thinking we’re some kind of professional photographer. With editing software available on our smartphones, pop on a filter and our photos can end up ten times better than the original photo. Gary McLaughlin is a professional photographer from Saltcoats in Ayrshire. Having been in the industry for nearly 40 years, he currently works for a local newspaper. And having captured every subject there is, from Kylie Minogue to each member of the royal family (with the exception of Prince Harry) he certainly knows his stuff. “We’re the sort of GP’s of photography. You get specialists that will go around taking (photos of) either football or golf, following the circus and things, they’re all specialist of areas; we tend to do everything.” Taking a trip down memory lane, Gary reminisces of how he got involved in photography. Earning himself a summer job, he worked for a local film processing company in Stevenson. It was here, whilst processing film, that he met some professional photographers. “I just found that any time or few minutes that I had, I was in with the professionals and got into photography through the back door. I enjoyed working and doing things with them, so I moved across from the processing.” Photography, as well as focusing on composition and lighting, has a lot to do with reading your subject. Whilst Gary admits the main element he looks for when taking a picture is light, his experiences have shown him that the industry is about people. “There’s a lot of things involved cause most times people just hate getting their photograph taken. I always think that we’re worse than dentists, so you have to put people at ease and be able to watch people, watch how they sit, watch how they tilt their head; just read your subject. People are awkward and self conscious about getting their photo taken so its up to the photographer.” Some people would say that photography was just the clicking of a button, a mechanism that anyone is capable of. However it takes a photographer to convey a story or depict someone’s personality through a photo; living up to that saying that ‘a
photo speaks 1000 words.’ Gary agrees that anyone can take a photo, but this is a result of the progression of camera technology. The downside of having quality cameras on our phones, which follow our every move, is a rather sad and daunting thought for photographers. “Our industry has been desolated because schools, citizen journalism, people taking photographs and send it in. Quality then because an issue with the cost, you tend to find that cost wins so the industry and photographers find it difficult to sell their photographs because they’re getting a lot of photographs for free.” Telling a more sombre tale of a trawler that sank in the Firth of Clyde when its nets became tangled with a Royal Navy submarine that passed underneath; Gary remembers being on the scene the year after, during the recovering of the trawler in 1991. “The Navy had taken us out, we were there to photograph it coming back up and when they actually brought the trawler back up, it was immaculate. The windows were intact because it was taken down so slowly, nothing had broken off. It looked as if you could just switch the lights on; the lights were still there. I mean it was just an amazing thing; the tragedy of it, men lost their lives on it. There was just a moment there; it was so quiet all round, the silence, that’s something that’s always been with me. That tugs at the heart.” Looking back over some of his big moments in the photography industry, it is obvious that Gary is a humbled man and grateful for every opportunity in his career. “I’ve photographed every Prime Minister from James Callaghan to present. I’ve photographed every member of the royal family except Prince Harry, I haven’t taken him but I’ve taken every other one. Photography has been my life and I’ve been fortunate enough and honestly, it is a privilege.” Anyone can click a button and take a snapshot, but it takes a photographer to know their subject, capture a moment and tell a story. The photo has to do the talking but so does the person behind the camera.
“I always think that we’re worse than dentists. You have to put people at ease, just read your subject.”
A look at self developing cameras through the years
1957
1972
1980
2012
2013
2014
With the majority of our photos being taken using our smart phones, physical copies of film can seem like a dying breed. Our pictures blend in and get lost amongst social media timelines and feeds. Making a comeback, and sporting a rather retro vibe, are the infamous instant cameras. Perfecting the art of the renowned ‘selfie,’ self-developing cameras possess the novelty of capturing memories on the spot. The first modern instant camera was unveiled in 1948 by American scientist, Edwin Land; naming the Land Camera after himself. These cameras produced a print in about 60 seconds, living up to their name of being instant. After the initial instant camera was sold to the public, variations of the original were made. The Polaroid Highlander Model 80A, shown above, was produced in 1957 and seemed to be a success. It was smaller and lighter in weight than the original Land Camera; making it easier to use on the go. The original retail price for this model was $72.25, just over £46. Surprisingly, an original model with its box can go for near enough the same price today on Ebay, even though it may not work as its type 30 instant roll film was discontinued in 1979. The Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera was announced by Edwin Land at a company annual meeting in April 1972. He presented on stage the camera with a folding single lens feature and took five photos in just 10 seconds; two actions that were impossible with previous land cameras. This folding lens reflex allowed the camera to fold in on itself, making it compactable and easy to fit in ones pocket. Its high tech features added to its cost, retailing at $180 (£117) back in its day. Today this camera can be worth up to £225. Sporting its trademark rainbow stripe down the face is the Polaroid Supercolour 635cl. Even its name resonates with the 80s era as it jumps off the shelves with its vibrancy. This instant camera featured a built-in flash that used the right amount of flash for pictures both indoors and out. It also contained a sliding close up lens, allowing the user to get as close as 60 cm (2 feet) to its subject; previous instant cameras had been double that at 4 feet. Several new and improved variations of the above instant cameras have been produced in more recent years. In 2012, Fujifilm made
their own self developing camera called the Instax mini 8, available in many colours. The camera automatically determines the best brightness for a taking a picture. All the user has to do is turn the adjustment dial to the position flashing red and the camera does the rest, simples! Using instant cameras to obtain that retro picture look has never been so easy. The actual film is about the size of a credit card, a lot smaller than the film of original Polaroid cameras. Fujifilm produced an even more technical and advanced instant camera just a year later, called the Instax mini 90. This camera featured a macro mode allowing close up photography to be used. Night-time photography was made easier with the bulb exposure mode; allowing the shutter to remain open (for up to 10 seconds) capturing photos even in dark settings. It also contains a double exposure mode, which allows the user to bring out their creative side as they can superimpose two different images in one frame. The most up to date instant camera created in 2014 is the Lomo Instant. It was the result of a Kickstarter campaign that relies on backers to fund its project. The lomo instant includes a selection of removable lenses like a fish eye lens. Much like the Instax mini 90 with the double exposure mode, it also features this but it is unlimited, allowing the user to combine multiple shots in one frame. This self-developing camera also contains a set of colour gels that can be placed over the built in flash, creating fun colour shots. The Lomo Instant is similar to the Fujifilm instant cameras and uses the instax mini film, which is widely available albeit pricey. Although film for these new instant cameras can be expensive (a pack of 10 shots costing up to £15) it is a costly hobby that people enjoy investing in. Perhaps that is one of the perks of owning a self developing camera today is that film is not easily accessible, forcing the user to savour and appreciate every shot. Or perhaps the greatest element of all is the lack of deletion. There is a beauty in the unknown; in the wondering of how the picture will turn out. One simply cannot delete a hideous group photo. These old timers turn back the clock and are a reminder of the good old days, before megapixels, filters and hashtags.
Focus Issue 1 Photo by Rosie Milligan Design by Abi Smillie Published by Abi Smillie