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David Gilbert Wright in conversation with Will Hopkins

June 07, 2020 in interview

David Gilbert Wright in conversation with Will Hopkins

I was first introduced to David Gilbert Wright’s work by Simon Tasker (@simonltasker), I believe. I quickly became enchanted by his portraits of life in the United Kingdom, and his Brick Lane series felt timely for the news of the day. Not only did he make technically good exposures, each of his photos captured some intangible humanity, and the projects come together to form a whole greater than the sum of their parts.

This is the first time David is sharing some of this work. Much like Simon Tasker’s newly-shared early work and the unprinted works of Garry Winogrand and Vivian Maier, there is something exciting about old photos that are also new. Of course, he is continuing to produce new work, and being able to view his early photos alongside contemporary projects adds even more dimension to the body as a whole.

I hope you enjoy David’s photos and storytelling as much as I have, and learn something new from a veteran documentarian.

-Will Hopkins

Will Hopkins (WH): Could you please introduce yourself?

David Gilbert Wright (DGW): I am David Gilbert Wright. I am English and I have been a documentary photographer for over 40 years. I first became interested in photography while I was doing a Foundation Course at Art College. Initially, I wanted to go on and study painting but found that photography was a quicker way of realising my ideas and also a more effective medium in achieving them. So, I went on to study Photography at the prestigious London College of Printing.

WH: What was it like studying Photography at the London College of Printing in the 1970s?

DGW: It was a turbulent time in both the Art world and also in Britain itself. Punk was just beginning and it was really something that had been happening in the Art colleges of England before it hit the mainstream. I was caught up and carried along with it and it was very exciting. We were all searching for ways to be different and break the rules. I realised that, in order to break the rules you had to know them and also be technically very proficient.

I learned about shooting and processing film, which stood me in good stead for the whole of my career. I shoot only film and process and print everything in order to retain control over the final result. Although I post my work on social media platforms and on my website, it is meant to be viewed as prints. Only then do you get the full experience of the the grain texture and size of the result. I don’t consider [myself] a Luddite, more a person deeply involved in achieving the best possible result through my craft.

WH: What equipment do you use?

DGW: Over the years, I have used different cameras depending on the work I was doing. For documentary work, I have generally used 35mm cameras. I used a Pentax KX for many years. Recently, I bought an old, second-hand 1970s Nikon F2. It is a beautiful camera yielding amazing results. During my landscape period I used a Pentax 6x7, and I use that for more formal documentary portraiture as well. I have a darkroom in my home, and like to work alone at my own speed. I have a De-Vere 504 diffuser enlarger. My film preference is Kodak T-Max 400 and Ilford FP4, both processed using standard stock developer and times.

WH: Explain your way of working in the darkroom?

DGW: Making prints is a long, involved process for me because a negative rarely captures everything with the correct tonal values. It stands to reason, the tonal range possible on film is only a hundredth of what it may be in the scene being viewed. So I have to make judgements at the printing stage about what aspects of the image will need work. It is much easier now on a computer but the actual act of manipulating your hands to mask or burn areas of an image and knowing the times involved are what makes the process so enjoyable but also stressful, I might add.

WH: When did you go to Wales to photograph the miners?

DGW: I went to photograph the Welsh miners in 1977. I spent about a week travelling around different mines and villages. I did not shoot much film, preferring to try to see what was happening in front of me and carefully, almost forensically, probe until the right moment arose. At that time, I was not really aware of the need to develop a relationship with the subjects in the way that the great John Collier (Visual Anthropologist) did. Now, I am much more aware of the benefits of inspiring confidence in the people you want to photograph so that they feel at ease and almost forget you are there. It does not reduce the subjectivity of documentary photographs but does allow life to unfold in front of you more readily.

The 1970s had seen a number of strikes by the miners and with the advent of a Conservative Government and Margaret Thatcher, their future looked precarious. Obviously, I was not to know that the miners strike of 1984-5 would become one of the bitterest disputes with the Government, whose aim was to break the power of the unions. However, I could sense something in their faces and that was what I tried to record in my photographs. Looking back on that series, I can see the importance of the photographs as not only historical documents but also as the generation that eventually had to face pit closures, redundancies, mass unemployment and mental health problems. The series only contains around 11 pictures but I believe it contains some of my finest documentary photographs. The other puzzling thing about the series is that it remained unprinted for over 40 years, along with the Brick Lane photographs

WH: When did you take the Brick Lane series?

DGW: It was 1978 and racial tension was rising in Britain. Groups such as the National Front were beginning to express nationalist views, and people were becoming uncomfortable with their message. However, high unemployment, strikes and the formation of ghettoes in the major cities like London, Bradford, Manchester and Leeds provided breeding grounds for racism. I was not aware at the time how important my photographs would become as historical records of the way local people were being subjected to hatred campaigns as they attempted to go about their work. Looking back, I can see now how I captured the signs of stress, poverty and courage of the people living in what was the semi-industrial area of the East-End. I spent a couple of weeks photographing in the area. Later, in 1980, I had to commute on a motorbike through a part of South London. The hatred had spread to that area and this time it manifested as violence and destruction with shops and cars being set on fire at night, windows smashed and gangs at each others’ throats. A scary time for many. If only, we had all seen the signs and acted more quickly in the late 1970s.

PC: David Gilbert Wright (Disappearing Ireland)

WH: You went on to do a series of photographs in Ireland. What was that about?

DGW: The family had their roots in a small hamlet called Knockgarra, Co.Galway. They were a rural people like many in the area. I began the project in the 1980s with the idea of documenting the farming communities of Western Ireland to show my children something about their heritage. Quickly, it became clear that things were changing and ways of life were disappearing. So I continued the project for many years. It spanned two decades and is made up of around 45 photographs that explore the themes of family, religion, childhood, farming, commerce, culture and age. I started to work on building relationships with the people who I was photographing by getting their stories. Usually this happened prior to them agreeing to let me take their picture and through the conversations we had as I photographed them. The series is organised into a narrative story and became my response to how external finance and influence had impacted on a way of life.

WH: Do you work as a photographer now?

DGW: My career has involved me working in a number of photographic roles including a film processor, a studio assistant, a wedding photographer, a medical photographer and free-lance. I also spent many years as a Photography Lecturer. I no longer do commissions or lecturing, working solely on my own projects.

My experience as an Art School student and then as a photography lecturer was to learn and teach photography was best done through projects. Even training to be a photojournalist, as assignments are projects of a kind. Finding a subject and then spending time exploring it photographically and getting to know the people and their stories yields much more interesting results than simply taking pictures of anything and everything. People just setting out as photographers might consider this as it is how many of the great photographers of the past have worked.

PC: David Gilbert Wright (Modern Tribes of England)

WH: With that in mind, what photographers have influenced you most?

DGW: Jaques Henri L’Artigue for his ability to capture everyday life. Cartier Bresson for his "decisive moment" approach, Bill Brandt for the beauty of his prints, Don McCullin for his representation of the Industrial North and Homer Sykes for his ability to find the quirkiness in our English folk festivals.

WH: What are you working on now?

DGW: I am engaged in two projects - Modern Tribes of England and Survivors. The Modern Tribes project is a large undertaking and will probably take many years to complete. It is based on the idea that people naturally join groups and membership of them can improve their sense of wellbeing. There has been a lot of research around this especially in New Zealand. Having a social network to support you and fall back on during difficult times leads to a greater feeling of well-being. It stands to reason. Human beings are social animals and form communities. The groups I have been documenting over the past two years include Morris, Re-Enactors, Pagans, Railway Enthusiasts, Urban Agriculturalists and Climate-Change Activists. Prior to the Pandemic, I was about to begin photographing Goths. My approach is an anthropological one involving getting to know the group members and gaining their trust so they almost forget I am there photographing them. An interesting thing about doing this is that many of the groups have got so used to me being around that they have asked whether I am actually going to join and become a Morris dancer or a Climate-Change Activist. However, my job is to document the groups not to join them.

The other project - Survivors is about people who have experienced serious trauma in their lives and have got through it and grown in wisdom and resilience. It is about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. The idea has its origins in my own experience. I am a survivor of a stroke and a heart operation. Photography has become my saving grace and enabled me to grow stronger. So, I set out to find people with interesting stories that they wanted to share. I record and transcribe their stories word-for-word. We then work collaboratively to design a portrait. My expectation is that once I have about twenty stories and portraits I will exhibit the work and publish them in a book. The project includes stories such as a medic who served in the Vietnam war, a man pulled under a train and had an outer body experience, a woman whose Aunt, Mum, Dad and husband all died within two years and a young refugee from the war in Yugoslavia. This project has brought me into contact with some incredible individuals. Ordinary people with extraordinary lives.

WH: Do you currently teach?

DGW: No, I don’t teach at the moment as I am working on my own work that consumes all my time.

WH: Have you tried Morris dancing?

DGW: No, I have never tried Morris dancing but been tempted. Maybe one day.

WH: Where do you hope photography as a field will go in the future? Professional photography today looks very different from even just a decade ago. How do you think it might change going forward?

DGW: Professional photography now and in the future seems to have very little room for 'thinking photographers'. News is dominated by moving pictures. Journalists seem to take their own photos. The only places that appear open are social photography, e.g. weddings, school portraits, fashion and advertising. In effect, the commercial aspects that pay for high quality results.

Going forward, photography of my kind will become commodities into high value prints that collectors buy. Alternatively, it will be a space occupied by serious photographers who are not in it for the money. They want to tell stories and express themselves artistically.

WH: From J. Han: If you practice black and white film photography and use a darkroom to print photos, which photographer's (alive or dead) darkroom would you like to have access to and be able to watch work in their workspace?

DGW: The photographer I would most like to meet and work with in his darkroom would undoubtably be Ansel Adams. He is the master of analogue photography. His approach to printing is inspiring. He likened the printing of a negative to conducting an orchestra. The negative is like the musical score. The musical score can be performed in many different ways depending on how the conductor interprets it. Likewise, a negative can be printed in many ways depending on what the printer wishes to accentuate. So for me, the printing stage can be a highly creative experience and to be in Ansel Adams’ darkroom using his equipment and even being guided by him would be exhilarating.

WH: What question do you have for the next photographer? You can answer it yourself if you’d like.

DGW: If you could travel back in time, which photographer from history would you most like to interview for this magazine, and why?

ED: To find more of David's work, you can visit his website Davidwright.photography or on instagram at @davidgilbertwright

Hi, if you’ve read this far, thank you. Normally this is where we’d stump for money but, in light of the ongoing protests, we’d like to encourage you to donate to a cause supporting them instead. This whole block is a link to a link tree of resources.

Thanks,

The Management.

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo: Dustin Davis

May 24, 2020 in interview

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo: Dustin Davis

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren't familiar with you, could you please introduce yourself and give us an overview of your work?

Dustin Davis (DD): My name is Dustin Davis, based out of Fort Worth, Texas. I’ve been hobby shooting for about 10 years. As of the last year, year and a half (after moving to Texas), I’m attempting to make a more serious effort into creating work that matters to me. When I made the move to Texas, my inspiration came from the feeling of insignificance in a place that was much larger than I’m used to.

ADM: What was the impetus to document the Rodeo and Stock Show?

DD: I have always had an an interest in subcultures, as a whole. Growing up, my family and I were big into the BMX racing scene. We lived and breathed it. Interestingly enough, the stock show reminded me a lot of our time racing BMX.

Moving here, I knew what a rodeo was. I didn’t know what exactly the stock show portion of the event was though. Many people suggested to go to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. It was a culture shock for me, to say the least. I think that’s what caused my desire to document it. I’m an outsider, taking in all sights, sounds and smells.

ADM: That's really interesting - did you ever shoot/or document the BMX racing scene when you were in it? also, as someone who's not super familiar with BMX or Rodoes - can you flesh out the similarities for me? Also, if you did document or photograph the BMX races, did you find your approach changing much if at all either due to time and experience, and subject matter when you started to work on the rodeo?

DD: I raced BMX when I was about 12-15(ish), and at that age I had no interest in photography. I was too obsessed with my bicycles. There wasn’t a lot of direct similarities between the two, but the main one was how much of a family event it is. There’s an overall feeling of friendly competition too. And the actual showing of the animal, reminds me of the race itself (just a little slower paced ha). Mind you, this is more of the stock show portion of the event, not so much the rodeo.

ADM: So far the images from the Rodeo that I've seen have all been in black and white. Why black and white over color, and will you continue the project in only black and white?

DD: I debated color vs black and white or even mixing the two before continuing this year. I had started it using black and white and wasn’t sure if including color would help or hurt the project. There is not a lot of color at the events (except the Escaramuza event), so I’m not sure the viewer would be missing out on much. Alternatively, there’s something about black and white that fits this subject matter.

ADM: That's tracks, the photos you have look really great, and it's really cohesive - that said, do you think you'd go back and do a separate section in color on the Escaramuza section?

DD: Thank you! I could see doing that. But I feel I would separate that work from the Stock Show work itself. It would be really great to get some more behind the scenes if I went that direction. Definitely portraits, since all of their dresses are so bright and detailed. I think accessibility would be more challenging for the Escaramuza work though.

ADM: Following that, most of the photos I've seen of the project so far have been fairly topographic or street leaning, and you mention an interest in doing portraits of the people involved - do you have a feeling of how you'd like to do those portraits, or what form you'd like them to take, in context with the rest of the photos you've shot so far?

DD: The portraits would ideally spur of the moment requests of people at the stock show. I’d have to get over the whole fear of approaching a random stranger first. But I just don’t want to overthink it. Some of Louis Carlos Bernal’s portraits resonate with me (his Barrio work is on my ‘to buy’ list) in regards to context of current photos.

ADM: What do you think the eventual scope of the project will be, and what form do you think it will take, and why? Also will you document other rodeos/stock shows, or is the project strictly focused on the DFW Stock Show/Rodeo?

DD: I know people may have negative feelings about stock shows. My documenting is not about being for or against the showing and selling of animals - I just want to share my experience. At some point, I would like to make a zine or small book of the work. I really don’t know when that will be though. I feel this will be a long term project so that will play into any final piece. I do plan on documenting as many as possible. There is really only two that are near me, so I need to be realistic on how much time I am able to invest into actually going to the stock shows. I would like to including portraits of people involved in the stock shows as well.

ADM: Just for context, for me, a yankee - Are the stock shows a regular event, and sometimes separate from the rodeo? I know Houston's rodeo is annual, but I'm not terribly familiar with the practice, beyond that.

DD: The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is every year in January. There’s one a little north of me that happens in August (I think). I’m guessing most of the other major cities in Texas have one every year. From what I gather, the these big events include the stock show and rodeo. The rodeos are the big event at night, while the stock show happens during the day. There are probably smaller stock shows scattered around that don’t have a rodeo event.

ADM: What were some of the main influences on you for this project, photographic or otherwise?

DD: Tough one here. I think the main influence for this would be just the fact that this culture is so foreign to me and I’m fascinated by what’s all involved.

ADM: I'd love to see the zine or book when it's out - what format do you think it'll take, or what do you think the big sections of the book will look like?

DD: You’ll be the first to know about a zine or book! I’ve never created a book (or really put focus into a project like this), so culling and editing the images to flow well will be new for me. At this stage, I’m seeing the images as more of vignettes of the stock show culture and that’s what it could end up staying.

ADM: For someone in the middle of relocating - either to a completely new environment, or a quasi-familiar one, what advice would you have for documenting that (or an unfamiliar event like you have), and adapting to it?

DD: Embrace the experience. For me, the new environment opened me up to enjoying film again, creating work that I enjoy and work that is for me. Without relocating to Texas, i wouldn’t have been able to start this stock show project. I didn’t expect for other people to be all that interested in the topic, so I am excited to document it, for myself.

ADM: From Adrian Otero Vila: If you could go back in time and stand next to a photographer when they were making an image, which one would it be?

DD: Pulling out the tough questions, Adrian! I’m going to say three photographers. First, Matt Eich’s zebra image from Carry Me Ohio, Edward S. Curtis’ Canyon De Chelly, or Gordon Parks’ Negro Woman in her Bedroom.

ADM: What's one question you have for the next photographer? you can answer it yourself if you'd like?

DD: What’s something you’ve learned in the past year?

As I mentioned above, create work for yourself. When you enjoy making the work for you, it will show through in the work itself. We all want to find our audience, but that will come naturally.

Someone recently shared this quote from Alec Soth‘s Magnum course: ‘We all kind of know pictures that other people like , that our friends like, that would get us likes on Instagram... but what you need to do is make work that doesn’t succeed, that takes you to a new place and eventually that’ll find its audience.

ADM: Where can we see more of your work?

DD: Right now, Instagram @_digitaldust. I’m currently working on culling work and updating my website at http://www.dustindavisphoto.com

Becoming an American: Adrian Otero Vila (AOWS)

May 10, 2020 in interview

Becoming an American: Adrian Otero Vila (AOWS)

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren't familiar with you, or your photographic work could you please introduce yourself, and give a quick overview of your work?

Adrian Otero Vila (AOV): I'm Adrian, a Spanish-American full-time photographer. I create black and white images of scenes that leave me in awe, with this work I try to pass along that same emotion to whoever is looking.

ADM: In your preliminary description you state that "Becoming an American" is, in broad strokes about your personal experience picking up and moving to America from Europe - What did you find was your experience moving to america, and how do you find that that experience was documented or captured in your photographs?

AOV: America is so present in our culture that I think most people (from other countries) have some preconceptions about it before even setting foot here. That included me when I moved to the US a few years ago. I had an idea of what I was going to find, and for a little bit, it was pretty accurate. It wasn't until I moved to Oregon that I discovered "the West". There, and away from everything and everyone I knew, I found freedom and peace. Those vast and remote landscapes gave me a sense of loneliness I never knew I needed. The rainforest of Washington, the coast of Oregon, the magnificence of the Rockies in Montana, the deserts of the SW... they were so incredible that I couldn't help it but to capture what I was seeing. At this early stage in my photography, I had no idea what to do with those images besides sharing them with family and friends, and later on Instagram. I felt I had to do it, though, and that created the spark that made me quit my job and become a full-time photographer. Those images are now part of my new book, "Becoming an American", and together, they tell my story, what I saw and the places and experiences that made me who I am today (for better or for worse).

ADM: Per your description, this book is a private photodiary, not initially meant for public consumption - what was the impetus to release the book to the public?

AOV: Over the years, I realized that the most rewarding aspect of sharing my photography is that many people find it inspiring, and it helps them in their own creative journey.

With "Becoming an American", I wanted to share what's behind my photography, a window to a period of my life that changed so much. Hopefully, it will inspire others not only to share their journey, but to embark themselves in a similar adventure.

ADM: Following that up, what was the assembly of the book like for you? Was there a specific "click" moment when the book came together for you while selecting images for it? or did you know from the outset the book would take a specific sequence or form (even if it may not initially have been aimed at the public)?

AOV: I started working on an initial draft of the book almost 4 years ago, from a selection of around 100 photographs. I laid the book out and actually printed out that first version. I kept looking at it and reorganizing the images for weeks, but I ended up putting the project aside.

I kept taking photographs, and when I felt like one might work for this project, I'd add it to the original selection. I ended up with several hundred photographs. It wasn't until last year when I decided to go through them and came up with a collection of 88 images that finally felt *complete*. Now, I had all the pieces I was missing before.

ADM: When going through the book, you periodically intersperse written narrative or recountings alongside the photos - what was your inspiration for including text, and at what point did you incorporate it? Was it always part of the plan for the book?

AOV: Definitely not. I decided to include them as I was putting the book together. There are almost a hundred images in the book, so I thought that a few breaks in between would be good for the reader / viewer, plus it'd help giving some context to the images.

ADM: Your standard (the majority of what I've seen on your IG) photo aesthetic leans very minimal. Did you find it difficult to work on this, or shoot like this alongside the more minimal work that you're known for?

AOV: Quite the opposite! The snapshots I take help me stay inspired during my photography trips, as I'm always looking for something to capture. I also make videos of my outings, which is much more demanding than these snapshots. I still find them useful for the same reason: to keep my creativity flowing.

ADM: You talk about maintaining a creative flow between your two bodies of work - following that - did you find yourself applying what you learned in this Diary project to your more public work, as you shot it. If so, how, and if not why not?

AOV: I used to be focused on a specific destination: I’d drive or hike somewhere, take a few photos, and head back. Now, I don’t dismiss any location beforehand, I find myself being more aware and paying more attention to everything.

ADM: In your trip around the country, was there a specific turning point for you - and was there a photo accompanying that? I know you note your move to Portland as being a huge step, or the ending point for the trip - but was there any other major turning point prior to the conclusion to the trip?

AOV: The trip to Portland was the beginning of my journey. There was no major turning point per se. In hindsight, I'd say it was on a weekend trip to Utah (and back to Portland) when I realized how beautiful this world is and how much I wanted to capture it. Even though I wasn't fully aware of it at the time.

ADM: What was the inspiration, from the outset, to document your trip alongside the main body of work you produced?

AOV: I take a lot of photos everyday, using whatever camera I might have with me. While my main body of work is my "artistic view of the world", those snapshots are a visual diary of sorts. If I make it to old age, those are the images I'll cherish the most.

ADM: What were your influences, photographic or otherwise on the book?

AOV: It's hard to know what or who influences your work, I didn't think of anyone or anything while working on this book. I can only assume, though, that books of a similar theme and style that I liked in the past influenced me in some way. My favorites are "The Americans", by Robert Frank, "American Prospects", by Joel Sternfeld and "Minutes to Midnight", by Trent Parke.

ADM: What advice would you give for someone making a big life change like you did? And, if they're considering taking on a big photographically driven trip, what other advice would you give alongside that.

AOV: Travel light. I was shooting film exclusively during a 2-month long road trip across the US and brought with me not only gear (2 Bronicas SQ-Ai, 5 lenses, 3 film backs and 100 rolls), but also the chemicals needed for developing and the scanner. I definitely regret doing that.

I brought only my small RX100 cameras on my last road trip, across Germany, Austria and Italy. When the gear gets out of the way, you can focus on what you’re capturing.

About life changes, it depends on someone's specific situation. I’m a big advocate of traveling, I believe that getting out of your environment for a while is a very helpful way to get to know yourself better. But going somewhere else won’t make your current problems go away, so be careful.

Over the last few years, I’ve made some decisions that weren’t necessarily the wisest or safest, but I knew if I didn't go for it, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. So I did.

ADM: By way of Charlie Thom, but directly relevant here - What're you working now, or what are you planning, what's the next project or trip?

AOV: Right now, I should have been photographing Iceland and the UK, but I’m stuck in Spain instead due to the virus situation. Besides those islands, I was planning on doing a lot of hiking in the US this summer and fall, plus shooting some winter scenes in the Midwest. We will see if that can still happen.

For now, I’m going through the thousands of photos from past trips, making some videos for my YouTube channel, working on a couple of zines and a new book.

ADM: What question do you have for the next photographer? you can answer it if you'd like.

AOV: If you could go back in time and stand next to a photographer when they were making an image, which one would it be? For me, that’d be either Koudelka’s image of the dog in the snow, or the photographs of bats and kangaroos from Trent Parke’s “Minutes to Midnight”.

ADM: Thanks for doing the interview! where can people find your work, and purchase copies of the book, as well as your print work?

AOV: Thank you, Andrew! This was fun. My website is the best way to look at my work, and also where the book and prints can be purchased: https://aows.co. I post every day on Instagram (https://instagram.com/aows) and try to upload a couple of videos a week to my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/aowsphotos).

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PARADISE: Sam Lloyd

April 26, 2020 in interview

PARADISE: Sam Lloyd

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren't familiar with you, can you introduce yourself, and your work?

Sam Lloyd (SL): My name is Sam, I'm a tattooer and student of photography in Portsmouth. I shoot both 35 and medium format.

ADM: What's the guiding concept behind Paradise?

SL: The fundamental concept behind Paradise is memory. It's a visual response to growing up in a pretty mundane suburb, as I'm sure many of us did.

ADM: Did you end up finding out anything about your childhood, or the suburban lifestyle through the process of making your zine? How does memory or nostalgia play into what you photographed vs. what you thought you would photograph at the outset of the project?

SL: So the walk is from my Mums house to my friend Gregs house, from the ages of 11-17 this was the longest walk me and friends would have to make at that time. Now it doesn't seem such a tall order, but that's why I chose this route.

On one of my walks photographing for the zine I had Greg with me and we and we discussed in great length what had changed and what remained, who from the past lived where and other places we would frequent as kids. Looking back over the photos in the zine it definitely didn't occur to me (and my memory) just how mundane the backdrop to my childhood was. I guess if you're having a good time with your friends you could be anywhere. Saying that, I did come across a lot of odd and misplaced things!

The main element of memory/nostalgia in the zine is the sequence of the walk. I like that the relevance of it all is only really known to me. I must admit when I came on to this idea I was pretty set on how I would conduct it, but I haven't been back there in a few years so I had no preconceptions on what I would shoot and how.

ADM: What got you into the zine or book format?

SL: I'm an avid collector of books and previously made a DIY zine showcasing my creative peers. When they announced the "quarantine" or what ever I just got busy and finalised the project, I thought it might be nice to share something with my friends while they're stuck inside.

ADM: Interesting - what would you say your favorite or most influential books have been (photographic or otherwise), and why?

SL: 10 years ago or so I was really into collecting the free copies of Vice magazine that you'd find in selected stores, they were pretty eye opening as to what kinds of photography went to print and who was out there. It was obviously unlike anything I had been shown at A level in college. As for favourite books, that's tough, but i'd have to say Roger Ballen. I have a few of his now and I just love how he incorporates illustration, sculpture, portraiture and chaos!

ADM: What was the shooting and image selection process like for Paradise?

SL: I took out a Hasselblad with trusty HP5 an retraced a walk I commonly made as child, I needed to structure my ideas and this seemed like a fitting ritual to follow for my project. The images you find on full bleed in the zine are from a roll I put through a Holga circa 2008/9, I couldn't believe my luck when I came across the negatives and it was a really nice touch to the sequence.

ADM: Going from Holga to Hasselblad is quite a stretch - how do you think working with toy cameras influenced your image-making, and can you speak a little more on how contrasting the holga images from over ten years ago played into the zine? I find it interesting because a lot of the holga images center on your friends rather than the topographics you lived in.

SL: That does sound like a stretch put like that! I've never been too precious about what camera/film combo i'm using, I was an avid car boot sale raider as a kid and bought anything I found that wasn't already home. I strongly believe anyone can make a thoughtful image with any camera. I've recently come across a few people shooting Holga still with amazing result!

The Holga images I came across clearing out my spare room and I'm glad I did. My initial idea was to respond to a rather large instax collection I have amounted from that same period of time. I wanted the reader to encounter them along this this walk I had put together as they were flash backs. I wasn't really happy with how the instax sat with my photographs, so when I found the negs in black and white and square format I really lucked out, not to mention they also captured Greg and his brother whom lived at the end of my walk.

I chose only the photos from the roll that featured people so they had some kind of continuity on their own.

ADM: Also re: the layout - what prompted you to set it up so that the modern images are plainly laid out, with plenty of buffer against the holga images which are full bleed? is there a deeper significance to that?

SL: I wanted it to be obvious and quite abrupt that you are encountering a "flash back" or something from the past to break up the sequence a bit, so the full bleed was to enhance that abrasion and difference. I left a lot of white space and one image to a spread to encourage the reader to take their time with each image, like a slow walk or something.

ADM: What did you learn, putting the Paradise zine together - is there anything you'd do differently on the next zine?

SL: I think I had it pretty easy with this particular project due to nature of the sequence being a walk, but it was a learning curve curating a single body of work opposed to my previous zines which were collaborative!

In regards to doing things differently in the future, I would like to play with different layouts and sequences. Not because I'm unhappy with anything in Paradise, but it's nice to have a new challenge!

ADM: When you talk about growing up in the suburbs - is there a particular memory that you're trying to communicate to the reader - or like a specific piece of nostalgia that might escape the viewer?

SL: I honestly don't have an agenda with this. It's very much "my truth" and more of a shared experience with the reader. I guess it just is what it is to some extent, to some it might be relatable and others a window into another way of life.

ADM: From Sadie Rose Bailey - what other creative outlets do you pursue? And what does it bring you that photography doesn’t?

With tattooing i'm constantly drawing drawing, so in many ways photography is my outlet from that. I'm currently painting a lot of flash and have been playing with cyanotype printing. I'm quite lucky to have a close friend who enjoys artsy stuff too, so we're always playing with new mediums, chasing the next high!

ADM: What question do you have for the next photographer? You can answer it yourself if you'd like.

SL: I think you should carry that last question over, is that allowed? I'd be interested to know what other stuff camera nerds were into!

ADM: Sure, I can let that question ride! Where can we see your more of your work, and order copies of Paradise (if there are any left?)

SL: So my photography is at @fortyeighteighteen on Instagram, I have not deemed myself worthy of website just yet. Copies of the zine are on acidbathvampire.bigcartel.com where you pick up some of my paintings and prints also. I will be ordering another batch of zines this weeks, I had no idea people would actually buy them!

Hi! if you’ve read this far, we hope you’ve enjoyed this interview! if you did, please consider either making a donation, or subscribing to our patreon! all of the donations that are made go towards upkeep and registration on the website and not towards printing personal zines!

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Heading to Bill's For Cigarettes: Jason Tippet

January 20, 2020 in interview

Heading to Bill's For Cigarettes: Jason Tippet

PC: Jason Tippet - Heading to Bill’s For Cigarettes

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): For those who aren’t familiar with you, would you introduce yourself and describe your work, photography or otherwise?

Jason Tippet (JT): Sure, my name is Jason Tippet, I studied Film & Video at Calarts and concentrated on documentary… I wasn’t one of those kids that grew up wanting to make movies, sort of fell into it. Took a few random classes at a junior college and ended up taking an intro to film class. The teacher was really inspiring and showed me American Movie. That film changed me, I had never seen anything like that… I didn’t know documentaries could follow such characters and watch them while they go after their dreams. My idea of documentary was more educational and this teacher started showing us things like, Billy the Kid and Burden of Dreams… I was obsessed with this type of filmmaking so I began to make my own portraits on friends I had around town in Newhall. I don’t think I have it anymore… I wish I did, but the short film that got me into Calarts was about this guy I worked with at Michael’s Arts & Crafts. He worked in the shipping department and would take these six beer lunches across the street at this mexican spot and was off and on dating this girl who worked in porn. He’d send us links to her work which confused me, but now I’m thinking he was just proud of her… I appreciate that, it’s important to be supportive in a relationship.

Fast forward a few years later and it was my final semester of Calarts. I finished this ten minute short documentary, called Thompson that played Sundance and won the Jury Award at SXSW. I met Derek Waters (Drunk History) at Sundance and when we got back we started on our first feature together called Only the Young. Oscilloscope distributed that and PBS and Amazon bought it… if you have Amazon Prime you can watch it, I think it’s still on there.

Photography came after making Only the Young... at the time, I wasn’t as excited about making movies and discovered photo books through Liza Mandelup (Jawline) and Carl McLaughlin. My still photos are pretty different from how I’d photograph a movie. With my photography I’m not into cinematic shots, I appreciate more gritty snap shots that might be a bit soft or maybe the framing is slightly off, not on purpose but because something is happening right that second and you just have to get that shot off before that moment disappears. I just want to document people and things that entertain me… if I didn’t have a camera I’d still enjoy these moments, but I like being able to share them with other people since they usually put me in such a good mood.

ADM: Do you find your photography informs your filmmaking and vice-versa? If so, how?

JT: The thing that connects my photography and filmmaking is the type of people I’m wanting to document. The people I take photos of I’d love to make movies about, I just don’t have time. I appreciate people who aren’t self-aware and just do their own thing. I met this guy the other day who I’d love to make a short about… this fifty year old Italian guy... he got in a car accident and feels like his lawyer owes him money, so he’s saving up money to buy a gun to go after his lawyer. Then starts telling me he’s gonna take a bus to vegas and put money down on this soccer game and if he wins he’ll have enough to buy a gun. He mentioned I should come along if I wanted to make a few extra bucks, cause this bet was a sure thing… I really wanted to join him but unfortunately had to decline, I had work, and as I’m writing this I hate myself for not going. But, he let me take his portrait before I left… haven’t seen him since. Luck might not have been on his side in Vegas.

ADM: What was the inspiration to go forward and make a full photobook; and what was your shooting process like -- Did the concept for the book materialize naturally, or did you conceptualize first, then gather the images?

JT: Really, it started with an idea I had for a second feature film that I wasn’t able to make. I wanted to make this documentary about these two old men that would go to the Santa Anita Horse Tracks every Friday. I couldn’t find funding (which is wild, who doesn’t want to watch two old men hanging out at the horse tracks), so while looking through a photo book at my buddy Carl’s house I thought that might be a nice way to cover it, by making a book. Liza Mandelup let me borrow her Mamiya 7 and I started going every weekend with my buddy Nick Thorburn… we’re recording audio to make a soundscape record to play while you flip through the book. That’s turned into a longer project that I’m still working on but began to notice the same things I loved about the track were going on in my neighborhood of Atwater Village. I thought I’d maybe try making something small, but the years went by and I accumulated a good chunk of photos, so just went into making an 80 page book.

ADM: Before working on the book, had you done any zinemaking, or is this the first time you’ve assembled a body of photos like this?

JT: Haha, this question is making me realize how out of order I’ve done this whole thing. I haven’t made a zine and I haven’t done a gallery show of my work, no one has ever hired me to take a photo, I really went into this knowing nothing about the photography industry, which I think is fine, we figured it out. Oscilloscope is one of my favorite companies to work with and it’s been nice slowly figuring this out with them. And through the book, Noh/Wave, a gallery in Little Tokyo is gonna include me in a street photography show they’re doing… so pretty excited to be apart of that.

But, yeah… this is my first attempt at putting out my photography. I’m a bit impatient so just went for it, with making movies I’m the same way… I don’t want to rely on other people for money or equipment or labor, I figured out how to make movies by myself and I really enjoy that I don’t need to rely on anyone to take photos. This might not be the right approach for every project, but I enjoy just getting out there and doing it myself. Sure you can wait and save up and buy the camera you’ve dreamed of shooting with, or the lenses you want to make a movie with but at the end of the day if you’re just waiting on these things it starts to feel like excuses. The photos I shot for the book are all on a point and shoot 35mm camera. I just went out and did the work.... I didn’t approach Oscilloscope until I had 90% of the photos taken and then we narrowed it down and I went out and took more shots of things we thought were missing. But, if Oscilloscope didn’t want to do it I was still gonna put it out somehow… but so thankful I got to work with them again. I feel like their stepchild that they introduce as their natural born son.

ADM: How did you finalize the selection for Heading To Bill’s, and what was the editing process like?

JT: I printed out 4x6 shots of all the photos I was considering and began to make pairs on my wall. Then I’d take photos on my phone of the pairs and send them to the Designer, Matt Ferrin to get his opinion. That part took a few months before we were happy. I was still going out shooting during this time so was cycling some newer shots in to see if they worked better. Then, once we were happy I sent it to a select few people I really trust and asked them what wasn’t working pairing wise and what photos just aren’t as strong. After getting back the notes, we re edited the order and sent it back out. This took another month before I was happy and by this point Oscilloscope needed the final version… if they didn’t give me a deadline I probably would still be working on it.

I’m proud of what we put together, it’s so rewarding to finish a project. I really enjoyed this whole process, looking forward to put out my next photo book, My Cousin’s Second Wedding… I was asked to take photos for my cousins wedding last minute so decided to take really unflattering shots… she forgave me, would probably be a different story if it was her first wedding.

ADM: What advice would you give to someone on the fence about, or just starting, a longer term photo or documentary project?

JT: Well… if you’re on the fence, don’t do it. Starting a longer project is an endurance test, the hardest thing is to stay excited about the project and continue to be focused. Turning it into a habit helps. For example, I just knew that if the horse tracks were open on Sunday, I was going. Friends would join me here and there, but it’s something I looked forward to. I’d take the top off my old 85 Mercedes, get a coffee and head towards Santa Anita. If you’re not documenting something you absolutely love or are passionate about, I wouldn’t do it. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with that subject matter to make memorable work.

Also, there’s no money in this, it’s an expensive hobby... so really this just has to be for you and people who appreciate your work. That said, I don’t mean that in a negative way, I need projects like this, not everything needs to make money. For me it was a nice way to get rid of anxiety… put in my headphones, listen to an audio book, get some steps in for an hour or two, and take a few shots. And by the end of my walk, the sun would be going behind Griffith Park, and the Dodgers were about to run out onto the field, and I’d be ordering my first beer, so not a terrible way to end a day off... it all worked out. Actually, I take that back, almost everything worked out, I hope we get another shot at the Houston Astericks in a World Series one day.

ADM: Where can we find your work? ie purchase copies of Bill's, and do you have a date for your gallery show?

JT: Only the Young (feature documentary) is on Amazon Prime, feels like I made that another lifetime ago. If you don’t feel like sitting through a feature but still want to check out my work, there’s a few shorts online, My Gal, Rosemarie… Thompson… Describe What You Heard. I’m Directing an episode of Drunk History at the moment, that’ll be out in July.

Oscilloscope’s website is the best spot to buy my book, those have been selling quickly… it’s been a good feeling, glad people are getting a chance to see what I’ve been working so hard on. Been flattered with the response from it.

The gallery show at Noh/Wave doesn’t have a set date yet. I’ll post about it on instagram once I know. But, come say hello if you live in Los Angeles, always enjoy meeting people in the photography community out here… Like meeting you Andrew, was so nice hanging with you at Tee Gee, I gotta make that happen more often. I appreciate what you do out here and can’t thank you enough for your support.

ADM: Thanks for agreeing to do this! Happy to have had you/support where I can!

Together, We Wither Away and Know Worries: Dylan Rozzelle

December 18, 2019 in interview

Together, We Wither Away and Know Worries:

Dylan Rozzelle (@objectsofridicule)

Andrew D. McClees (ADM): So, for the readers, Can you introduce yourself, and give a quick overview of your photowork? (beyond the examples we've incorporated here?)

Dylan Rozzelle (DR): I currently live and work out of Richmond, Virginia. My work is entirely based on life as it’s happening around me. I can’t say I’ve ever set out to hone a particular style, I just enjoy documenting things in an unadulterated way. The process of shooting has just become ingrained into my lifestyle. After learning how a camera works, everything else just sort of fell into place for me. Humanity creates my images, I just have to focus and press the button.

ADM: I remember from having talked with you before, your instagram handle "@objectsofridicule" is actually the name of an overall project, is it more your zinemaking/bookmaking output, or your overall body of work? also what's the story behind the Name, and how does it interplay with the work you select for it?

DR: It’s more or less a moniker that just ended up just sticking with me. I like making things for friends and people with similar interests as myself. Photo zines, poetry, pins, patches, anything I was creating and giving out in numbers really, I just started stamping with the name. It was never meant to be taken too seriously, and still isn’t. I’m not trying to create a brand in anyway, it’s just something that’s become an ongoing project -- one that as of recently has shifted away from my own work and moved towards others as well. I have a love/hate relationship with the name, but I think that’s inevitable with anything you’ve submerged yourself into for multiple years, and grown older with.

ADM: From the zines I've read of yours, a lot of your work seems to be done while traveling rather than in any given/set location -- is there a primary reason for that, and what is it specifically that draws you to travel, and how has it influenced your work?

DR: It’s not planned that way specifically. I carry a camera on me at all times, so anywhere I happen to be, I’m taking pictures. Last year a lot of time was spent meandering different countries, so the zines just happened to follow the experiences. When traveling alone, I shoot a lot more, but the focus tends to turn more towards the streets. Being alone and in new places, I find myself less distracted than any other time I’m out shooting, mainly because the only comfort I have is in holding a camera. It’s easy to romanticize new places, though, and shooting daily life is just as important to me.

If you’ve ever gone to a local library and looked through the photo archives of where you’re living, it will teach you not to take for granted what you see on a routine basis. Every city is consistently under construction and will be vastly different decades from now. The hand painted ads, cars, clothing, those things that gives older photographs their charm just happened to be the way life was existing then. There’s no true proof of the past other than the photos that were taken. Time has made mediocre photographs much stronger now than they were when the shutter first opened. Everyone that is documenting the places they have lived will have much more compelling content 40 years from now. The factory your father worked in as a teenager is now a tacky condominium and the record store you used to catch punk shows at is now an Urban Outfitters. You can’t get those stories from street photography in foriegn places. I try to find a balance between the two, because I see the value in both.

AM: Got it. I take it we/I/your audience in general can look forward to at least one, if not more Richmond based zines in the near future? The nod to documenting your life as part of history is interesting -- did you grow up in Richmond?

DR: I have a few things in the works, absolutely. In July I put out a zine titled Together, We Wither Away which is comprised of images from the east coast, with a large focus on Richmond. In the brief period between getting back from overseas to releasing that zine, I had gone home (a town called Norfolk about 100 miles south of Richmond) twice -- both of which were for funerals of people who played valuable roles in my life. As soon as I got back from the second funeral, I formatted that zine and then put it into print. It was an attempt to make a statement against detrimental lifestyles and self-harm, as well as a way to help cope with my grief after their deaths.

Since then I started putting my efforts into a project called Know Worries. They are 4-way collaborative anti-profit zines. Once I curate and publish them, each artist receives 25 copies to do what they will, other than to make money. Know Worries II was released last week.

AM: Your portfolio is entirely black and white, and it has a pretty distinctive edge to it -- how did you settle on it? what were some of your influences for your look?

DR: I shot strictly color through cheap cameras for years. I was soaking films in any chemical I could think of to get bizarre color shifts, and completely destroying emulsions, cross processing as well, just to see what would happen. I didn’t care, I just liked to shoot and experiment. I ended up becoming good friends with a guy who was vastly more knowledgeable than I about photography. He helped guide me towards better cameras and glass, showed me books by the greats and it shifted my focus. That’s when I began to start taking it a little more serious. I switched to black and white because we were processing the film ourselves in my apartment. In turn, the cheaper it is to get images, the more careless and often you can shoot. Good photos are subjective and completely by chance in my experience. The more you shoot, the more chances you have of getting something you’ll be happy with. We ended up living together and turned my bedroom into a darkroom. Fully submerging ourselves into the process. I learned a lot during those times and it helped shape my style for sure. I attribute a lot of where I am today to him. Shout outs to Josie.

I’ve tried shooting color since then, but I just feel like it doesn't carry the same weight and feeling for my own images. I don’t look for colors, I rarely even think about them -- but maybe I’m just too far gone in that thought process. I’m sure it doesn't help that 95% of the books that I buy are black and white. I don't think one is better than the other, I just think it happens to work better for me personally.

Most of the photographers I admire were living and working sometime between the 1970s and the 1990s. Having not lived my youth through those eras and being attracted to the subcultures that sprug during those decades, I’m fortunate for the ones who decided to pick up a camera and were shooting back then. In current times, color point and shoot photography is one of my favorite styles to admire because I know the importance it holds for the future. It plays a large influence in my work even if I’m not doing it. There is nothing about it not to love, and anyone who knocks it is just trying to put themselves on a pedestal. That purist mentality is what ruins art forms and discourages people from getting into it rad stuff -- no matter what scene you’re in, I feel that it almost never does any good. I encourage anyone I meet that shows the slightest interest in photography to buy and a point and shoot with decent glass and just blow through frames to get started. Whether you enjoy color, or black and white, who gives a shit. I think it’s all irrelevant if you’re having fun and it’s going to leave future generations more content to be enamored by. If you don't want to learn the technical side of things, I don't think you should have to. Elitist culture is pathetic. Getting pictures is the point of what we do, right?

ADM: Agreed! That’s really rad -- and a smart suggestion for people thinking about getting into photography, or film photography specifically. Elitist culture makes it really difficult to just get new folks into whatever they’re gatekeeping -- usually to their own detriment. Could you share a few of the books and photographers that you’d admire, and recommend to someone just getting started, that’s been out shooting a fair bit but hasn’t really immersed themselves in the history of photography beyond say instagram (not that there’s anything wrong with that)?

DR: I think it’s important to find out what kind of photography resonates with someone before recommending them too much. I love to read, but I could give a shit less about James Joyce. When it comes to photo books, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found. The feeling you get flipping through an artist’s book is something the internet cannot give you. The problem with instagram is that it’s far too much content to digest. It’s almost impossible to connect with a viewer, and hold their attention before it’s all lost to the movement of a thumb. Pretty fucking tragic, really. I always recommend going to used bookstores and the library, there’s always new things to be found, plus there’s no need for money if you don’t have it. You will always, without fail, end up inspired to create more compelling work and theorize ideas for new direction in your photographs.

A brief list of people who have personally inspired me:

Tish Murtha, Ray Metzker, Gusmano Cesaretti, Richard Sadler, Andre Kertész, Mary Ellen Mark, Jill Freedman, Richard Kevlar, Helen Levitt, Eikoh Hosoe, Bruce Davidson, Gary Winnogrand, Ralph Gibson, Joseph Koudelka, Lee Friedlander, Ari Marcopulos, Saul Leiter, Julia Gorton, Eugene Richards, Larisa Dryansky, Bill Brandt, Ed Templeton, Ed van der Elsken, Peter Hujar, Nan Goldin, Ken Schles, Robert Frank, Larry Towell, Boogie, Mark Cohen, Jun Abe, Anders Petersen, Mike Brodie, Donna Ferrato, Sylvia Plachy, Bill Daniel, Edward Grazda, Gordon Parks, Elliot Erwitt, this list could never end...

As for books, all of them.

ADM: You mention a strong focus on shooting your life, or humanity making the photos for you, and later go on to say that you’re pretty far gone in the black and white thought process. Can you walk us through what you’re thinking or looking for when shooting and composing your images or is it more gut instinct and small calculations?

DR: It depends on the situation and camera, I suppose. On the street, anything goes. A lot of it is gut instinct, I never really know what I’m looking for, I just know when I see it. I have a good idea of what I want in a frame when the time arises. Sometimes it works, more often than not it doesn’t. Anything that sparks my interest, I’ll shoot a photo of. I’m trying to get better about just taking my friends photos. My 2020 goal is to shoot more medium format portraits.

ADM: We touched on it before, but you make zines fairly regularly, at least once or twice a year -- what’s your process for putting together zines like? What advice would you give someone making their first zine, or even just toying with the idea?

DR: Yea, I actually made 4 this year -- kind wild considering I think they are some of my best work yet. Zines are something I’m constantly thinking about, and always working on ideas for. I have a section in Notes on my phone for titles and concepts. If they will actually come out is a different story, though. I can sit for weeks or months curating zines and playing with InDesign only to scrap it completely and move to something else. That’s just how I work.

As with photography, zines will be a learning process. You don’t have to be great at it, just do it because you want to -- dive in and see what happens. It’s always going to be better than nothing. The best advice I can give is shoot, make, repeat.

And don’t listen to a word people say about photography, including this interview.

ADM: Fair point! Thanks again for the interview! Do you have any parting words? Also where can people buy or trade for your zines (trade especially for Know Worries), and see your work?

DR: Always down for trades, chats, and advice on how to not make money off of photography. @objectsofridicule

Ed. Note: We couldn’t fit all the photos we wanted to here, so we’ve put up a gallery in the “People” section of the website, entitled “Dylan Rozzelle: Portfolio.” Either use the click through menu or click here.