TALKING ARTS: PHOTOGRAPHER LUKE DOWNS
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have been interested in photography from an early age, when I was given an Instamatic type camera. Showing enthusiasm for interesting results, I was given a better camera and joined the camera club at school, where I got to use the darkroom equipment, which opened new possibilities. “On my first visit to Canada, my travels took me to The Yukon, where I had my first work as a photographer, for the City Council’s Rec. Department., taking pictures of the kids’ activity programmes, for future publicity efforts. While in Whitehorse I came across a book by Freeman Patterson, which opened my eyes to new directions to go with photography. Some of his work was more like painting and if I were to claim anyone as an influence on me, it would be him. In the Yukon I found some amazing wild landscapes, huge scenery, and I specialised in landscape photography. When I got back to England, I gave talks and slide shows to wildlife and conservation groups,
showcasing the Canadian north. When digital photography came along, I rejected it as being somehow “not quite right”. I remained a film afficionado. However, I came to embrace it as an art form in itself... a whole new way of making pictures. Some of my pictures are unaltered, just as they might have been on slide film in the past. Others, the subject has ceased even to be recognisable; it was just a step along the way. What is it? Or, what was it? Does it matter? I’ve done quite a lot of my work with a little pocket digital camera. Since a good many of my pictures are quite impressionist, sharpness of focus is not of critical importance. I also use an Olympus DSLR camera and I have a selection of lenses. When I was younger, I didn’t mind carrying a camera bag over a shoulder with 2 bodies, lenses, flash and filters, etc. Nowadays, I don’t like to do that, so I generally put on one lens to go out with and sometimes put the little camera in a pocket. The lens I usually take is my 90mm macro lens. The pocket camera just can’t take that kind of picture. The 90mm lens is a great portrait lens and not too long to take a lot of other pictures too, as well as having the real close up macro capability. And if I want a wider view, the useful little “toy” camera is often in my pocket.
Given that my career has mostly been in forestry and landscaping, it’s probably not surprising that a lot of my inspiration has come from trees and plants. Sometimes they have ceased to recognisable in the picture, but they’re often the starting point. See more of Luke’s work on Instagram or visit his studio when touring CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY Cowichan Bay. Saltmarsh Gallery, abstract I representational I modern 2190 Cowichan Bay 2190 Cowichan Bay Rd. Rd., Cowichan Bay 250 597 8037 Cowichan Bay I 250 597 8037 www.lukedowns.ca
SALTMARSH GALLERY
www.lukedowns.ca
Garry Oak, Rainy Night, Luke Downs This was walking back to my son’s place in Fernwood after dinner one rainy night. I saw the way the streetlight was illuminating the bare branches of the oak, so took out the pocket camera and made the picture. What I had not noticed was that the light was also illuminating the rain drops, which just makes it.
A Musical Piece, Luke Downs I see this as the music stave, on which the notes are written, but all twisted, contorted and convoluted. But it is also what the conductor’s baton tip must look like to an orchestral musician, staring at it for a while.
Weeping Willow in Winter, Luke Downs I love the bright yellow of the winter twigs in that winter sunlight. It made a pretty nice abstract by concentrating on the yellow. Then, I saw other shapes in it and realised there were more possibilities and started playing, flipping it around to see what I could get. This was the result.
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