This month’s interviewee needs little introduction, as he has penned ‘The Art of Seeing’ column in Digital Camera since 2019 (see page 39). In fact, Brain’s columns have inspired his first book, You Will Be Able to Take Great Photos By the End of this Book, which goes on sale this month. So let’s find out more about the book, and what it contains, from the man himself…
What first attracted you to the medium of photography?
I was always interested in art as a child. I chanced upon photography when an inspiring teacher gave me The Puffin Book of Photography as a prize for making a model of a Saxon village – I used real wattle and daub and think that clinched it for me. The teacher, Ed Collacott, was a keen photographer and in fact went on the become a full-time landscape photographer himself. I was about 10 at the time and the book inspired me to make a darkroom at home with some old equipment I cobbled together. The rest is history, and Ed and I are still friends today.
Which photographers inspired you when you were starting out?
I remember seeing a Bill Brandt exhibition in my early teens, which was inspiring. It opened my eyes to the possibility that photography was an art. Later, on my art foundation course in Bristol, I discovered the work of photographers such as Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Duane Michals and Robert Adams and I was also introduced to the work of John Blakemore. Blakemore was also a teacher at the Derby School of Art and this played a large role my in wanting to study photography there, which I did. Blakemore, Olivier Richon and the other lecturers at Derby made lasting impressions on me. Looking back, it was an invaluable education.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Spice up autumn
Bold autumnal colours lend themselves to bold editing techniques, says James Abbott
Breathe new life into forgotten photos with Enhance
James Paterson tries out Photoshop's AI image-enhancing tools to see if they can rescue an old, noisy, heavily-cropped raw file
Scanning ahead...
Paris 2024 was memorable not only for sport, says Jon Devo, but also innovative video tech
Shot of the month
Photojournalist Aaron Gekoski has produced a documentary about animal exploitation
10 AMAZING AUTUMN PROJECTS TO SHOOT
With summer behind us and winter approaching, autumn is an exciting creative stopgap. James Abbott explores some of its possibilities
Hotshots
Our showcase of the winning entries from the World Sports Photography Awards 2024
The art of seeing
Benedict Brain examines the tourist gaze and explores why we take 'travel' photographs
Historic streets
Andrew Bransby reveals the secrets of successfully shooting popular tourist hotspots at night
Don't get stuck in a rut
Brian Wakeling explains how get a winning shot from herds of deer
How to capture canals and docks
Wendy Evans investigates the watery arteries of the Industrial Revolution