MODERN technology can be a wonderful thing, but a disastrous social consequence has been the rise of a generation of Johnny no-talents, ever ready to bore you with out-of-focus, ill-framed iPhone snaps. David Suchet, an impulsive photographer who never leaves the house without a proper camera, certainly does not fit in that category. His new book, Behind the Lens: My Life, bursts with images of London locations famous and obscure, trees, boats, actors and ordinary people with which any working photographer would be delighted.
He bats away any notion of skill. ‘I’m not a good photographer, and I don’t aim to be. I could never set up a professional shot—I don’t have that technical knowledge,’ he says. I suspect he’s a lot more serious about the art than he’s letting on.
In the book, he admits to having a photographic mentor, but his modesty may also stem from the fact that he hails from a family of working photographers. The text of Behind the Lens is built up from a series of conversations with his editor, Claire Chesser, in which Mr Suchet offers piercing insights into his approach to acting, his faith and his family, as well as his love of music, canal boating and Nature.
Arguably, the most affecting parts are where he talks about his maternal grandfather, Jimmy Jarche, an accomplished, oldschool professional snapper, famed for getting the first public shot of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, in a nightclub.
‘He was an amazing man, the sort who could quietly walk into a room of 200 people and they’d all look round to see who he was. His charisma was extraordinary,’ reflects Mr Suchet, who made a touching ITV documentary about him in 2012.
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
