Vintage And Obsolescence

Our iMac is terminally ill. As is so often the case with computers, there was no warning - one day it was working fine and then the next the screen starts up with what is a cartoon-like portrayal of illness - a uniformly grey face hatched from corner to corner with little pink scars, except over the familiar Apple logo in the middle where they are green - and thus it is stuck. Three conversations later with various levels of Apple support and I learn there is nothing we can do about it. This is a top of the range machine; it looks as fresh as the latest models but, you see, this computer was bought in 2009. It’s seven years old. In Apple parlance it is “Vintage”. Far from that word’s association in my mind with nostalgia, something faded and elegant to be preserved or enjoyed over time, in Apple’s dictionary it means it is no longer supported for repairs and spare parts. Redundant. It is time to move on. 

When I took the photograph above, I wanted to convey the idea of stumbling on a typically disorganised family archive and to emphasise that the item you will most immediately fall upon and instantly enjoy and share, will be printed - a photograph, or letter perhaps. There may be other valuable material stored within the various media there but the effort and equipment required to extract it will in all likelihood make the exercise cumbersome, even impossible. It may in short become a joyless task, which would be such a shame. In the case of our own computer we have been lucky; behind its dead face we could hear signs of life, the processors and drives seemed to be okay, as though the computer were trapped in some electronic coma. With a little ingenuity we found a work-around that allowed us to extract the remaining files that hadn’t already been backed up.

Later, I sat next to a mother and keen photographer at a party - my dinner companion was passionate about her family photographs. “I keep all my SD [camera] cards in the safe”, she volunteered. I asked her how confident she was that one day in the future she would still be able to read them - and on what? It’s not the media itself that’s necessarily going to fail in time (it may, it may not, we’re not sure) but the devices and connections that media relies on to read it are ever so vulnerable. We agreed that the best thing we were doing for our families’ future enjoyment of photographs was the dutiful creation of the annual holiday book and calendar.

Back at home, we have just discarded a broken mini-disc player. I am looking at my Firewire drives. I am looking at the comatose iMac. It’s time to switch the life support off. We’ll send it to be recycled and hopefully its beautifully machined aluminium casing will serve in some future incarnation. In the meantime, if your idea of a family photograph is one that your grandchild will one day enjoy, then bear in mind it may be best not to rely on the computer world’s notion of “Vintage”.

The Dolphin, The Gazelle, The Cheetah And The Lion

When I arrived at Mike and Clare’s house, Mike was wielding a pen-knife in boy scout fashion and excitedly removing an old sepia photograph from a crumbling frame. The image depicted a formal group at a wedding, a family gathering posed in a static arrangement to allow for the long exposure time to capture the moment for posterity. Mike had recovered it along with some others from an outhouse he was clearing out; it was in all likelihood just over a hundred years old. It was an emotive moment - I was now there to take photographs of his own family.

Mike is a leadership consultant at Aberkyn and author on the subject and Clare is a television and radio presenter - they are parents to four children. They are nothing if not passionate. Passionate about everything: family, faith, work, football, friends, life. I had known the family for a little while, in particular as neighbours in Winchester and I was always certain a photo shoot with them would be exceptional. When the opportunity did eventually arrive, I was taken aback by the generosity of access to the inner heart of family that they granted me. The experience is equally generously conveyed in Clare’s own words:

“Mike was the one who saw it first - ‘It’ being ‘The Golden Years’ of family life - when Lily (13) is her own person but yet so happy to be with us still, Maisie (10) is stepping into her true self, Hal (8) is so full of fun and without guile and Gabriel (6) is still young enough to be doted on by all the other siblings, and for him life is all about play… 

This is the story of the Dolphin (watch her dive);

The Gazelle (watch her dance);

The Cheetah (watch him run)

And the Lion cub (watch him roll and bask in the sun!)

All themselves

And all bound as one. 

“As a family we are consciously trying to ‘make memories’ - family adventures or times of one on one: Sunday tea by the fire or Dad’s Saturday brunch… but how do we ‘capture’ those memories? My hope was to have someone photograph ‘the vernacular’, the everyday, to create a virtual and visual scrap book that goes beyond the scrubbed faces and the smiles.  

“When Lily was born we had a fire in the house and it was pretty devastating. It certainly made us realise what was important in our lives - and the only thing we wanted to rescue was… the photographs… The memories, the stories, our history and that of the generations before us. Fortunately, we had never put them in albums - instead they were left in boxes stacked at the back of cupboards and so escaped the seeping tentacles of smoke damage and were mainly ok!  Ever since then, photographs have been a critical part of our lives; when Mike’s Dad died we bought a good camera (for the first time) - so that we could record precious memories of our growing family.  

“Though now we are awash with photographs - the children snap away at everything on our phones: a funny face made out of baked beans at the tea table, a hundred shots of conkers, handstands, beetles, goofy grins and the obligatory surfeit of selfies! Devaluing the currency - and yet documenting living history and making their own memories…

“So it was time to embrace the Golden Age and capture it by raising the photography bar - with James quietly watching and documenting our family chronicles… catching the laugh and the light, looking through a window into our world… family heritage recorded with split second accuracy that will make each moment last many lifetimes. Perhaps kept on a screen, perhaps in a frame, perhaps carried in the heart.”

When we got back from the second part of the shoot, we sat around the kitchen table with a cup of tea and contemplated the hundred year old print. What were we going to produce with the material that we had just captured? I am working on some ideas - there will be something beautiful that celebrates the now of childhood, for sure - but what I’d really like - what we'd really like - is if, in a hundred years’ time, like us around this table, someone would still be able to hold a photograph from this shoot and say, “That’s The Dolphin, The Gazelle, The Cheetah and The Lion. That’s our family”.

A New Year, A New Vintage

This blog is all about where photography meets family and the things or places that are personal or meaningful to us. So what happens when photography meets family, meets the land, meets wine and the location is a sun filled corner of France’s Languedoc region? 

Heading east out of the walled city of Carcassonne and a few kilometres from the Canal du Midi, there is a turn off the D235, down an avenue of old pines. At the end, nestling behind an olive grove and set among extensive vineyards is Château Canet, a small family-owned estate and home to the Lemstra-Bakes. More than home in fact - it’s a way of life for they have set themselves the task of not only creating a range of exceptional wines but turning the property into a hub for wine-tasting, local tourism, art and culinary events and functions. They are helped in this ambition by a dedicated team, an extended family almost, some of whom have been established in the region for generations.

Last year I had the happy task of photographing the property. It was a commercial brief - pictures were required for the website, for marketing material and for use in presentations to wine buyers. The images needed to show off the wonderful wines, the facilities and the gites (yes, you can stay there too). The great thing about working on this kind of project are all the strands that need to be pulled together; nature’s form in the land, the vines and the wine; technology with the machinery, the stainless steel, the process; and above all, the people that make it happen: Floris and Victoria with their children Oliver and Charlotte; Jane at front of house; Denis and Cyril in the vineyards and Philippe and David blending and bottling; Nathalie the oenologist; Emilie in the office and Emilio keeping everything in order throughout the extensive grounds. (And not forgetting the dogs, Dudley, Elliot and Salut!) 

Anything for us...?

There is an energy and purpose to the state-of-the-art winery that is quietly balanced by the serene setting of the house, vines and countryside. However, as impressive as the technology may be and as beautiful as the situation of the house is, the most important story lies with the people behind it all and their passion in a shared vision. 

And what better way of showing the human side of such a personal business than photography? Carefully put together, a collection of photographs has a narrative quality that brings out a story, in this case a story of a remarkable enterprise - and one that will be fascinating to revisit in years to come.  Such a documentary becomes more valuable over time, much like a good wine, in fact.

You can see more of Château Canet here.

New Horizons

When I embarked on this blog earlier in the year I always worried there would be a moment when pressure of work might run a little too hard against the limitations of time and something would have to give. So it proved the case these last couple of months - just what happened to November and December? The good news is that a couple of the projects I was working on in the latter part of the year grew in scope and may well result in further exciting outcomes in the coming year. These came on top of a typically busy autumn, so while I have some ideas and pictures which I am looking forward to sharing in the weeks ahead, the not so great part is that it all resulted in a couple of months of neglect here on this page. And now, suddenly, I find myself at the eve of a new year, that classic temporal viewpoint from where we contemplate our journey so far and scan the horizon for directional clues to future opportunity and fulfilment.

I don’t think 2014 has been a particularly kind year to the photographic profession. It's difficult to get figures but the talk that I am picking up is that social photography in particular is in decline as a profession. Photography as an art form came under attack and the digital camera market has shrunk further, to levels similar to 2004. At the same time, conversely, nothing appears to abate the growth of photographic output and consumption, which has never been greater. But is it in a good way? In the words of Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry, “We live in an age when photography rains on us like sewage from above.” If 2015 means setting one resolution, it is to adapt and think laterally about where the opportunities lie.

It wasn’t all gloom and doom, however. When I look back on 2014, I realise that I was lucky to make new friends, visit new places, work in a couple of fabulously exotic locations and establish relations with new and interesting clients in diverse fields. I have compiled a pictorial diary of the year, just one or two pictures from each month - this is not a best of - it’s more of a behind the scenes glimpse at my photography moments of 2014, at home and at work.

January brought wide-scale flooding to many parts of the UK - this reflection of a tree in flood water in the New Forest was caught on an uncharacteristically clear day. Meanwhile, back at home in Winchester, the River Itchen burst its banks.

There were many Swiss chocolate box moments to be had in February, during a three day lifestyle shoot in St Moritz and the beautiful Engadine Valley. Everywhere you looked in fact, including this view out of the train carriage window.

March brought the annual Save The Children musical fund-raiser to the Roundhouse again. Following previous years' smash evenings of Soul & Funk and Blues, 2014 was the year of Reggae. Here, Jimmy Cliff wows guests with the hit "The Harder They Come".

April, and it has been an eye-opening experience to become more involved with the remarkable Blue Apple Theatre over the last 18 months. This company of adults with learning difficulties stages ambitious productions, including this "Tales From The Arabian Nights" at the Theatre Royal in Winchester.

I love May, when the thought of summer starts to take a hold and family photography comes into its own. This shot of Olivia running freely through a tulip filled garden in Sussex sums it up.

Old cars and cycling featured one way or another through 2014, but perhaps none better combined than in this chance shot taken during a Citroen 2CV rally in France in June.

Let's not forget our own family holiday - we managed to escape to Crete for a week in July. Son No.2 enjoyed attempting handstands in an unusually vigorous surf on Phalasarna Beach.

It's not possible to get through the year without mention of the ubiquitous i-Phone. The shot for August is suitably sunny, courtesy of a Hipstamatic filter.

September brought a remarkable trip to Venice and enough photographic potential to fill a blog for a year and inspiration for October's post. One of the city's hidden gems that I was lucky enough to visit was tucked away behind the obvious view - the Bevilacqua weaving mill, an extraordinary throwback in time, continues to produce fabrics in a centuries old tradition.

In October, it was back to France to put the finishing touches to a project there and another chance to visit the dramatic Cathar castles at Chateaux des Lastours.

There are a couple of fantastic family projects that remain a work in progress. One of them produced my favourite Hampshire portrait of the year in November.

Lily, 2014

Finally, I can't help but say that December speaks for itself...

It has been a fun and instructional exercise to recollect the better moments of the last year and I look forward to the chance to share more in the coming months. In the meantime, whatever profession you are in, I wish you happy and prosperous endeavours in 2015.

About Being Brave And Hiring A Professional Photographer

If I asked, “Would you hire a professional to photograph your wedding?” I think for most people the answer would still be a given. But would you hire a professional to photograph your family? As someone with a vested interest, I hope the answer would be “Yes”, although I detect an increasingly confident self-sufficiency creeping into this area now. And why not? It’s not only cameras that are more sophisticated, there is a wealth of inexpensive printing and publishing options that have grown too, not to mention the various new trends in taking and sharing photographs. So how does bringing in a photographer stack up in the face of this change? I am not talking here about a cheap fix, one of those “session and all the photos supplied on disc for £90” deals where, like an all-you-can-eat buffet, the only memory at the end will likely be indigestion. No, a proper portrait commission requires an emotional and financial commitment and, unlike wedding photography, is a much more discretionary investment. Is it worthwhile and what should you be looking for?

Taking the leap

Taking the second part of that question, look beyond the camera for a start; the number one thing to consider is the finished work. It’s important to look to someone who understands the aesthetics and the production values required to turn the captured image into a physical product, be that a print, an album or a gallery-style wall mounting. Unless the chosen images are produced in some printed form I think it’s a fair bet your grandchildren won’t get to enjoy them, at least not in that spontaneous, tactile way that comes from handling an object. So a knowledge of production and an insistence on printing should very much be part of the package. Also editing, in the sense of choosing only the best and cutting the rest, is an unseen skill that is increasingly overlooked or even ignored. It is absolutely part of the photographic process. Dumping 500 unfiltered pictures on a disc is not a service to the client - it betrays a lack of rigour, at worst it may disguise a lack of skill. It’s vital to establish the quality of the outcome as well as making your choice on the basis of just style or price.

Lasting qualities

Having decided this is something you want to do, a major consideration is whether to go for a studio or location based session. I think this is a matter of personal preference - some people like the formality and neutral space of a studio setting, which often also brings a sense of structure to group shots. I am a location photographer as I believe that home is part of what makes family and so for me it is the natural backdrop where everyone can feel at ease.

One advantage of working on location

And the benefits? Perhaps, as a parent, you always seem to have the responsibility for all the photography and you yourself never appear in any of the pictures (I am all too familiar with this). Perhaps you’re aware that you are not taking enough photos and theres’a real gap in your record of family life. Sometimes, it’s a great excuse to get the whole family together, particularly larger families with teenage children who never seem to be around at the same time or where parents do a lot of travelling. A photo shoot addresses all of these.

But here is the main point, it’s a brave thing to do to put yourselves under the scrutiny of an outsider. It’s this objective view that is one of the factors which makes the exercise so worthwhile. Children in particular respond well to the non-judgemental attention and often, their personalities really shine during a shoot. A good photographer will set out to portray you in the best possible light for sure, and seek to play to your strengths but he or she can present a refreshingly honest view as well; there are no preconceived ideas of family dynamics to get in the way. A good photo shoot creates a buzz at the time and you’ll have some amazing, eye-opening photos to enjoy. But when you put together an album or frame a beautiful portrait, those items become part of the glue that sticks family together in the years to come - that’s an investment that can only grow in value and makes the argument for doing it compelling. At whatever stage in your lives and even if only once, at least consider handing over photography to a professional.

Then and Now

Well, it’s turning into a year of flashbacks. We just celebrated my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday and were blessed not just with good weather for her outdoor party but also the presence of her entire family of children and grandchildren, a rare occasion. I had my camera to record some candid moments and when I saw my wife and her siblings standing in a doorway one particular shot sprang to mind immediately; sitting in a drawer back at home was a favourite print of the four of them as children. We produce it periodically to have a laugh at dinner parties. But actually what a record - a piece of micro-history documenting not only family hierarchy, but the fashion and photographic style of the time it was taken. I rather wish I had taken the print to the party as we would have been more likely to stage a copy of the poses, which might have been hilarious (Jim had had to stand on a box in the original) but that is beside the point. The fact is the original print is as accessible as an image now as it was forty years ago and my most important task to hand is to make a print of the new photo to file with it - the digital version may not survive as long.

Earlier this year I was asked to do a portrait session for a family who I had photographed ten years ago. I love this kind of work as you get a real feel for the value of photography, a sense of documenting the passage of time, a process here of growing up. I suppose, technically, all photography is documentary but the camera is never more powerful or evocative as when recording a sense of time, place, renewal or change and that is the essence of family photography. The photograph of Poppy aged 4 was taken on Fuji Neopan 400 and a selenium toned print was made for framing. The negatives show images of her bouncing around and laughing but I liked this shot of her contemplative look, a pose that she naturally adopted ten years later.

I am lucky to be able to forge relationships with families and help a few document their growth and evolving lifestyles over a period of years. Incremental changes add up and the record that emerges over time never fails to surprise me. I wonder if they’ll be able to look back in forty years on these photographs like we do with that print and maybe laugh or wonder at their family relationships, their clothes or the photographic style!

I had earmarked some images for this article a while back so it came as a complete surprise when just a week ago I was covering an event in France and bumped into a client whose family I had photographed in 2006. One of the two daughters I had originally photographed was present and I asked to do an up to date shot, below.  It's a reminder to keep that camera handy - family photography is documentary photography whose value really comes to light over time.