Film: Koudelka Shooting Holy Land

I was fascinated by Koudelka's work when i first saw an his work exhibited at Arles. An understated man he attended the showing of his film at the ICA saying but a few words . This film is a great insight into his practice as he returns to the same locations on multiple occasions, revisiting and revising past compositions. As photographers we can learn much from his steady perserververance. He returns until the there is nothing left for the place to give him. In a world of fast and transient imagery, Koudelka is a master of his craft. Handholding his beast of a Fuji GX17 camera is if nothing else a physical feat, as well as a testament to his skills developed over a lifetime. This film is full of humour, from a figure that is not seeking the limelight. We are invited into the intimacy of his practice; from sitting on the side of the wall loading film, to inching closer to border guards. This is a much watch for every photographer no matter your genre.

Thank you Gilad Baram for his film and Josef Koudelka for allowing us into your world.

““Try to survive, and good luck!””

— Koudelka at the premiere of his film in London

Return from Travel, New Year 2017

I am excited about 2017. A new year, full of possibilities. 

The blue flames of sulphur burning in the crater of Mount Ijen, Java, Indonesia September 2016. ©Laurence Gibson

2016 was a wonderful year of travel, I visited many different countries, which have provided me with a fresh outlook on my own. The image above was taken in East Java, Indonesia. This is one of the places which had the most impact in the last year. Here men work in toxic gases to collect solid sulphur to sell and make a living. When not mining they are farming; in both of these trades through necessity they life large weights across difficult terrain. But in spite of all this hardship. it is striking to witness their positive outlook. As Mount Ijen is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist attraction, the miners have now a new form of income, as one of the villagers has developed a home stay and tour business see here contracting the villagers to host tourists. Through this they have been able to lobby the government to get a metalled road into the village. It is amazing how the impact of one individual can impact a whole community.

I am now excited about 2017 with new opportunities to collaborate with individuals and organisations. My aim to continue to produce projects which shine light on the misunderstood and misrepresented.

To contact me about a project or for more information about my work drop me a line on email or social media 

Quote of the week: Man Ray on photography

Self Portrait by Man Ray

Quote of the week: human beings

Discontent and its civilisation: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London by Mohsin Hamid.

Quote of the week: photography and commodity culture

from Photography; A Critical Introduction, Edited by Liz Wells

Talk: Simon Norfolk, ‘Under London’ Museum of London

Simon Norfolk has  and continues to produce fine work with the theme of traces with particular reference to traces of war being a major driving force. With multiple commissions from clients such as National Geographic and budgets up to $250,000. Norfolk was refreshingly candid about his beginnings as a photographer, mentioning a difficult decade when starting off as an photojournalist in London. Even now he states

““Im a freelance photographer; one job away from unemployment”. ”

— Simon Norfolk

It was fascinating to hear for the turning point in his career when he decided to travel to Afganistan to cover the conflict. He spoke of the moments before the taxi came to collect him for the airport; all my 35mm kit sitting there and my 4x5 field camera kit. At that moment he decided he would only take the large format. This provided the limitation and capacity to photograph afganistan in the way he did. Photographing the traces of war in this tribal melting point, where traces dating back millennia. Upon returning he found that magazines that had never even thought of granting him an audience, where suddenly calling him. From this turning point Norfolk has produced series in a wide variety of contexts. Using a technique of lit landscapes debuted in his photographs of the Mayan Temples using a crew of 12 and cinema lighting over a period of 7 weeks. Norfolk returns to this technique in recent commissions such as Mes Aynak for National Geographic in Afghanistan. 

to view more of Norfolk's work 

‘’Under London’ a series for National Geographic in collaboration with the museum london, with the aim to promote the layered history of London’s archeology to the public. He set about this photographing archeological objects and transplanting them into a relevant location. Photographing the objects in glorious detail on a phase one medium format camera with a top light to mimic museum lighting the objects are elevated beyond their muddy geological graves.