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PHOTOGRAPHERS’ TEcHnicAl infORmATiOn

MATTHEW ABBOTT iSTAnBUl

What camera was used to shoot this series? i use a leica m6 with a 35mm f/2 lens. i use this camera because the view-finder is so bright and the shutter so quick. i set the exposure and focus, and wait for the exact moment. i find automatic cameras are a distraction, especially digital.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?i use Kodak 400 Portra Vc, it’s ok but i am sure any film would do the trick. i like to use fast film (i.e. 400 iSO) as it gives me more flexibility when i work on the street with depth of field. i usually expose the film 1 f/stop extra (i.e. rate it as 200 iSO) sometimes even more. This brings out the colours of the negative film and makes it easier to print.

What type of lens did you use? i use a 35mm lens and always shoot in landscape. i love this angle of view and will probably never change. A 50mm i find has too little depth of field for the type of compositions i make and the 28mm is just too wide. Using just one lens really makes me focus on that angle of view and i find this important to making effective compositions. it forces you to move your feet to get closer most of the time.

How long did you work on this series? i spent three weeks on this series, shooting every day all day, except from 11am–2pm.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? There were no challenges really, except for my camera breaking and getting robbed. i love photography because it gives you an excuse or opportunity to experience different people and cultures–even if i don’t get pictures i am always satisfied. This project was a lot of fun and i really fell in love with istanbul.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?most of them are in or have been in magnum. They include Alex Webb, Trent Parke and Antoine D’Agata, to name a few.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?i find i am happiest with my photos when i shoot things that i am passionate about. This is the most important thing for me.

matthew Abbott Untitled #2 2008type c photograph32.6 × 48.6 cmcourtesy the artist

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PAUL BATT SERVicE STATiOn PORTRAiTS

What camera was used to shoot this series? nikon D200’s.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?i shot with digital SlR cameras in RAW format at 3200 iSO.

What type of lens did you use? A nikon Af 300mm f2.8 telephoto lens with a nikon Tc-201 2x tele-convertor.

How long did you work on this series? On and off for about a year and a half.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? in the beginning of the series, different technical problems arose each time i attempted to make a picture. Often, even as one technical problem was solved, another more difficult one seemed to replace it. Subjects with wry expressions, blinking, camera shake, over exposure, colour casts and misjudging focus had been the main reasons, explaining why so much time and so many pictures were needed to be taken to make the series work. in some way this explains why the shooting ratio was so high.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?There are a lot of photographers i admire and consider influences, although William Eggleston and Walker Evans are amongst my favourites. With Eggleston it’s his sense of colour and compositional balance, coupled with his ability to make the most mundane of subject matter appear as though you are seeing it for the first time–that really inspires me. more directly Evans’ Subway Portraits were an inspiration for the series. His portraits of subway passengers are probably the first real photographic series that consciously documented everyday people using a concealed camera. Since the late 1990s concealed cameras have been used and other photographers like Paul Strand have worked in this way. it really took a photographer like Walker Evans in the late 1930s, to realise the documentary possibilities of using a camera in this way.

Paul Batt Untitled #1 2008type c photograph 34.0 × 50.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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JAMES BRICKWOOD WAREHOUSE

What camera was used to shoot this series? A Voigtlander Bessa R2m and a nikon f5 with a nikon SB26 flash.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed? film. mostly ilford HP5 rated 400–800 and neopan 1600 rated 800–1600, both 35mm format.

What type of lens did you use? 28mm and 35mm prime lenses.

How long did you work on this series? it’s a work in progress, which i’ve been working on for the last four years on and off. These parties are few and far between.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series?A lot of my work on this project is shot at sunrise. These parties are illegal and usually attract unwanted attention from the police–cutting these parties short.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?Bruce Davidson, Garry Winogrand and Bruce Gilden.

James Brickwood Untitled 2008type c photograph33.0 × 50.0 cm courtesy the artist

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DARREN CLAYTON imAGES fROm PREAH ViHEAR

What camera was used to shoot this series? i used a Bronica SQ-A medium format SlR camera (6x6) with waist level finder.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?i used Kodak Tri-X 400 iSO black and white film for these photographs.

What type of lens did you use? Two lenses were used; they were a 80mm f2.8 and a 50mm f4.

How long did you work on this series? i was in the right place at the right time to be aware of the story and i made my mind up to photograph Preah Vihear while i was staying in Siam Reap in cambodia. i made the 800 kilometre or so round trip three times to the temple staying for roughly two nights and three days each time. So the series was made up of short stays over a period of three to four weeks.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? There were a few small challenges, like enduring a rough, 200 kilometre ride on the back of a small motorbike on a dirt road that was either very muddy or dusty. Overcoming the language barrier to make a connection with the people and soldiers at the temple. Also there was a risk of armed conflict between Thai and cambodian soldiers stationed near the temple to consider. But i found these and other challenges were overcome along the way as i became more determined to photograph the story.

The biggest challenge for me personally, was to do justice to the people involved and to make great images that could say something about them. Thoughts went through my mind both of (avoiding) stereotypical images and using the inspiration from great images by photographers who had been in South East Asia before me.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?max Pam, Blenkinsopp, Stephen Dupont, Roger Ballen, larry Burrows, Gary Winogrand, Ed Van Der Elsken and Diane Arbus are a few.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?i did not use a lot of film considering the time i spent there. i used only ten 120mm rolls of film plus a couple of 35mm colour rolls. But i got over 100 images that i eventually got down to 20 photographs that told the story.

Part of my passion for documentary photography is creating a narrative with the images to inform and get some response from other viewers. it may not seem much in the scheme of world events but showing these images is a start.

A few weeks after i left the temple for the last time in August 2008 there was a short intense fight between Thai and cambodian forces that left many dead on both sides. further fighting has also destroyed the temple market place and the guesthouse where i stayed. This dispute over land and borders is still an ongoing problem between cambodia and Thailand.

left:Darren clayton Preah Vihear Gopura #3 2008inkjet print40.0 × 40.0 cmcourtesy the artist

right:Darren clayton Cambodian Woman Ascending Temple Stairs 2008inkjet print40.0 × 40.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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GEORGIA METAXAS lOWER YOUR EARS

What camera was used to shoot this series? A mamiya RZ67 6 x 7cm format.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?i used black and white Kodak T-max 400 film 120 format. The film was hand processed in my darkroom (at the time). The film was then scanned at a very high resolution to produce the final prints.

What type of lens did you use? 110mm f/2.8.

How long did you work on this series? A free haircutting service is offered to the clients of St. mary’s House of Welcome on the first friday of every month. i photographed this service every friday over the course of four months.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? There were many considerations to attend to as i have a considered approach and although the portraits may seem quiet, if not serene, the room that they were taken in was quite chaotic. Each haircut lasted approximately three to four minutes and there were two hairdressers available to the clients to deal with demand and also providing each participant in the portrait project the choice of being involved.

i was deliberate about my use of the lighting and background in each image being the same. The background in this case is a ping-pong table found in the room at the time of shooting.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?August Sander, irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Dorothea lange and Walker Evans are important influences. The images also reference the archive of Dr. Barnardo.

left:Georgia metaxas Untitled #3 2007archival pigment print60.8 × 50.8 cmcourtesy the artist

right:Georgia metaxas Untitled #5 2007archival pigment print60.8 × 50.8 cmcourtesy the artist

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SIMON O’DWYER cOminG Of AGE

What camera was used to shoot this series? canon EOS mark iin digital camera.

What type of lens did you use? most of the works were produced with a 17–35mm 2.8 lens.

How long did you work on this series? To produce this series i followed the girls throughout a whole day starting with them getting made up, hair done, collecting dresses, official photographs and finishing with the formal dance and party. All up i started at 10am and finished at midnight. The following day was spent in post-production getting the images ready for the paper.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? many of the girls could not be identified; this made documenting the day in its natural form incredibly difficult. The girls also came from very abusive backgrounds and i needed to gain their trust in a very short amount of time. By the end of the night i had made great connections with the girls and i feel that this comes through in the work.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?Originally i was trained in painting so my first influence was artist Robert Ulmann. Other influences have been Salvador Dali, claude monet and Pablo Picasso. my photographic influences have been Jan Saudek and Sebastião Salgado. i was very lucky also to work with two great Australian press photographers John lamb and Bruce Postle. As a young photographer starting at The Age newspaper they were a great source of knowledge and wisdom.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?my work in journalism has taken me to all corners of the world to live and experience all cultures. Over 20 years i have photographed much of what life can throw at you. i have been in war zones and riots, photographed Prime ministers and Presidents, sat with the Dalai lama and travelled to countries as extreme and distant as iceland. i live a very privileged life in many ways, as each new day and my camera allows me to live in worlds that many people would never get to see.

Simon O’Dwyer Coming of Age #4 2009archival inkjet print 40.6 × 50.8 cmcourtesy the artist

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ANDREW QUILTY VicTORiAn BUSHfiRE AfTERmATH

What camera was used to shoot this series? Hasselblad X-Pan (panoramic).

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?film. i used a rare czech black and white film called fomapan 400 ASA in 35mm.

What type of lens did you use? A fixed 45mm lens, the only lens i have for this camera. it gives the horizontal format of a 28mm lens on a regular 35mm camera.

How long did you work on this series? These pictures were shot over the course of only one day.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? Accessing the bushfire affected areas was a challenge. much of the area was closed off to the public and media.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?for this series there are a couple of major influences. They include Josef Koudelka, for his amazing panoramic landscape work and larry Towell, a photographer who is very connected to the land. Dean Sewell is also an influence. His ability to capture beauty amongst devastation is unmatched in Australia.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?This series was focusing primarily on the environmental aspect of the Victorian bushfires rather than the human side of things. i had seen much of the social coverage of the disaster in the days preceding my series and thought that there was a hole in that coverage that needed to be looked at.

Andrew Quilty Untitled, Kinglake West #1 2009Giclée print 18.5 × 50.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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LEAH ROBERTSON fRAmED

What camera was used to shoot this series? A canon EOS 30D.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?Digital.

What type of lens did you use? canon 50mm f/1.4

How long did you work on this series? i worked on observing locations and their corresponding lighting conditions for a few weeks, then shot the series in one afternoon when the two came together.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series?i generally feel conscious of my intrusiveness and slightly uncomfortable when shooting on the street. Also, this series’ heavily selective shooting and editing process (to portray mood) made me consider the boundaries of artist subjectivity in documentary photography.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work? i’m inspired by the stillness and narrative in Jeff Wall’s staged documentary, and by Trent Parke and Paolo Pellegrin’s use of light. i realised the similarities to Philip-lorca dicorcia’s street work after completing this series, and am now very much inspired by his ideas and work.

leah Robertson Framed #4 2008Giclée print 32.5 × 48.8 cmcourtesy the artist

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DEAN SEWELL AfTERmATH—VicTORiA’S BlAcK SATURDAY BUSHfiRES

What camera was used to shoot this series?A mamiya 7 (6 x 7cm).

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?film camera. Kodak Portra 160 iSO/400 iSO.

What type of lens did you use?65mm f/4.0.

How long did you work on this series?it took three days.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series?The challenges were mostly logistical. The Victorian Police were the biggest hindrance. contrary to popular belief, in times of disaster the police force often find themselves at the lowest point in the chain of command. To create the necessary illusions of empowerment to nourish their egos, they turn their gaze to the press and documentary practitioners to exercise what little power they hold in those circumstances. it is a rather bizarre game they force upon you. The police will often force you into extremely dangerous situations in terms of personal safety, all the while telling us they are trying to ensure ‘our’ safety. They can put in place as many road blocks and excise entire towns under the guise of a ‘crime scene’, but when a story of this magnitude calls we will take whatever steps we deem necessary to navigate around these road blocks to ensure coverage. Technically, the police would consider this series as being produced completely without authorisation as would be the work of all the major television networks and newspaper groups. On the days that this work was produced i was continuously told that no media access was permitted and i was refused entry to the fire zone no less than eight or nine times at police blockades.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?Bruce Davidson, Eugene Richards, Josef Koudelka, marc Riboud and Philip Jones Griffiths.

Dean Sewell Tractor with Flag, Kinglake West 2009archival pigment print41.0 × 54.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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LAKI SIDERIS liTTlE cROWDS

What camera was used to shoot this series? canon EOS 5D.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?Digital at 1600 iSO.

What type of lens did you use? A 28mm and a 50mm.

How long did you work on this series? i have worked on the series for over a year and it is ongoing.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? finding an interesting face in a crowd and then waiting for something to happen.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?for this series larry fink, Garry Winogrand and nicholas nixon, predominantly for how they beautifully organise chaos.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?most of the images came together as a series some time after i had taken them. it often felt that the images were being created ‘post-capture’ by selective cropping, burning and dodging. While the shooting was often in noisy busy environments, the actual photography was performed quietly at night on a computer screen.

laki Sideris Little Crowds #7 2008 type c photograph 40.0 × 50.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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TOM WILLIAMS nEiGHBOURHOOD: THE REDfERn–WATERlOO PUBlic HOUSinG ESTATE

What camera was used to shoot this series? A Rolleiflex TlR 6x6.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed?film, Kodak Tri-X, 400, 800 and 1600 iSO.

What type of lens did you use? Planar 75mm f/3.5, carl Zeiss.

How long did you work on this series? Two years.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? i spent a lot of time getting to know people, which was a pleasure rather than a challenge. i am in debt to a large number of people who trusted me, helped me and allowed me to photograph them. for example, when a row of units were about to be demolished just before christmas in 2007, three different families let me into their homes to get to know them and take pictures. i am still in contact with many of these people and return to see them (and sometimes take more portraits) from time to time. in an era when there is increasing suspicion of photography and photographers, i was surprised and encouraged by the acceptance, generosity and energy i was given.

Some subjects, especially children, are disappointed these days when they can’t see a photo shot with film straight away. But often they love the prints!

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work?Philip-lorca dicorcia, Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, William Eggleston, Bruce Davidson, mary Ellen mark and maya Goded.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work?This is an ongoing project that will continue indefinitely.

left:Tom Williams Tony ‘Fingers’ Randall, Vietnam war veteran and security guard 2007 inkjet print39.0 × 39.0 cmcourtesy the artist

right:Tom Williams Kristal and Derek, James Cook Building, Waterloo 2007inkjet print39.0 × 39.0 cmcourtesy the artist

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KRYSTLE WRIGHT OcEAn SWim RAcinG

What camera was used to shoot this series? canon EOS 1 mark iin and canon 5D.

Did you use a film or digital camera? If film, what type and speed? i used a digital camera. i shoot RAW uncompressed images and try to shoot at the lowest iSO possible depending on light. if it’s a dark cloudy day and i know i’m shooting in the water i usually go up to 400/500 iSO, as it can get dark very quickly underwater.

What type of lens did you use? 24-70mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8 on land then i predominantly used a15mm fisheye on the 5D for the underwater shots.

How long did you work on this series? i’ve been shooting the sport for the past one and a half years and it’s ongoing.

What were some of the challenges you faced in shooting this series? Some races attracted hundreds of entrants so parking was a shocker. One of the biggest decisions that happens every race is deciding on whether to stay on land or go into the water. in the water there were multiple challenges though during one particular race, i had a full-length wetsuit on to keep me warm and even though i had little skin exposed, my hands and ankles were covered in bluebottle stings. later i found out that i was swimming in an area nicknamed ‘shark point’, which might explain why i felt spooked.

Is there a particular artist or artists who have influenced your work? it’s hard to name only a few as many photographers inspire me. A few photographers who have had an impact on me and the way i shoot would be Tim clayton, Adam Pretty, Ted Grambeau, Trent Parke and plenty more.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your work? i have a strong background in sport which i believe gives me a better understanding when it comes to shooting it. The physical presence becomes a major impact in the image and in order to get that particular image sometimes, you really have to consider your own physical (and mental) capabilities as you can easily put yourself in danger. it’s a great feeling when an athlete in the sport comes up and tells you that you’ve captured how they feel and given the viewer a better insight into their sport.

Krystle Wright Deep Dark Depths 2009archival pigment print 36.5 × 54.8 cmcourtesy the artist