In Conversation with Mal:
'So, where did it all start?'
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'Messing about with art. It was during my early years growing up in Central Africa - the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe where my father worked in the 'National Parks & Wildlife'.
In competition with my older sister, we were sketching and painting the things around us - our horses, our dogs, the wild animals and landscapes and we entered the local art shows. It was a pretty amazing childhood!
These days, my older sister is an accomplished artist based in Tasmania. And whilst my son has won the Young Archibald National Australian Portraiture Prize, my wife Clare, having studied art in Bologna, Italy, is a constant source of knowledge and inspiration!' |
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'And what about
photography, specifically?'
'Sketching and painting was more my thing as a lad and that thing remains with me.
What I found intriguing early-on though, were the photos my father took, to send to relatives in Britain and Sweden. There was something magical going on.....about capturing that one fleeting moment in time - the real thing.
As early as 7yo, whilst waiting for the next session of photo magic to take place (perhaps weeks or months away), I would try to envisage how I would like a photo to turn out and I would sketch various scenarios I hoped to recreate during the next photo shoot.
But it was only after my first career as a dental surgeon in Sydney and then my second career as a soldier in the British Army and then into my third career in International Crisis Management, that I was lucky enough to meet Clare and we were expecting our first child.
THAT, was a call to action if ever I needed one and I purchased my first DSLR camera....'
'How do you now define your work?'
'What I do now is broadly described as 'Fineart Photography'. My preferred style is defined by dramatic light - working with striking combinations of light and shadow to create mood and atmosphere.
For this very reason, I love working in monochrome with a wide tonal range providing strong contrast and the resulting visual impact I am after.'
[Stampeding Wildebeest]
'Fineart often has a message - what is it, for you?'
'Yes. For me, there remains a fundamental theme that has been with me from when I was growing up in the National Parks in Zimbabwe - Wildlife Conservation (both fauna and flora):'
| 'Tread carefully - nurture our wildlife and our planet, for the sake of all living things.' |
'And what are you trying to achieve?'
'Three things. Firstly, it is engagement of the audience.
The final rendition of an image must be strong enough to capture attention, to arouse curiosity and hold it.
To do this I must elicit some form of emotion that compels the viewer to connect with the subject.'
'Who has influenced you most?'
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'Some former greats:
Some current masters:
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Titian |
'Mal recounts how Clare is his art and cultural tour guide especially when in Italy. On one particular occasion they visited an exhibition in Venice displaying works by Titian and other Renaissance and Baroque painters, Caravaggio and Rembrandt.'
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'Consider these two images - a painting from 1600 ('The Calling of Saint Mathew' by Caravaggio) and a photograph below taken over 400 years later.
In his early experimental work Caravaggio challenges the tradition, the norm, using a shaft light from the window on the right, highlighting subjects' faces with strongly contrasting shadows. He employs a darker 'vignette' theme in background to emphasize the subjects and focus our attention.
Further, he depicts everyday scenes rather than posed portraits - all quite radical in the art-world at the time and not readily accepted by traditionalist peers. |
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Egyptian Goose In Flight - Al Qudra, Emirates |
Worlds apart in almost every way, is the culmination of my photographic project 'Egyptian Goose In Flight'.
There are perhaps some common themes however:
- low angled light highlighting the subject against its background,
- high contrasting tones on the subject itself,
- darker vignetting effect surrounding the subject to focus our attention,
- subject depicts a natural 'everyday' scene as opposed to a staged, contrived or artificial scenes.
It was Caravaggio's work that had a play in my thinking, as I scoped out this project pre-trip and also on location during my 5 days at Al-Qudra Lakes, a small oasis in the desert, The Emirates.
On-Location Notes Hide 1 of 3 |
There is another common theme - planning (ref 'Method'). We usually draw and paint with a deliberate end-result in mind and we usually make considered preparations to that end.
Most people I think regard much of wildlife photography as being impromptu and spontaneous, reacting to something immediate.
With this project, it was a bit of both - a creative juxtaposition.
It was the deliberate planning (ref image 'On-Location Notes Hide 1 of 3') that tipped the chances in my favour, of successfully capturing the moment in-camera, when that chance presented.
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From all the different takes on art over the centuries, the widely varying techniques and in-vogue contemporary styles, with photography I am inexorably drawn to how light and shadow can be used to create mood and atmosphere particularly where there is a wide tonal range from very dark to very light.
And so over time my own photographic style started taking hold, drawing inspiration from some of the great masters of their time, from current artists pushing the bounds, along with my own impressions and what really appeals to me. It continues to evolve - a dynamic and exciting thing!' |
'How important is the post-capture process?'
'Very! Like many photographers, I prefer and enjoy trying to get things as 'right' as possible in-camera. Even so, all images can benefit from post capture processing to some degree. Many professional practitioners argue it is essential, and I tend to agree.
The journey from conception to final rendition of an image is a process I enjoy (ref Method). I enjoy the planning, the meticulous attention to detail, both in-camera as well as post-capture.
'Lastly, why Not-For-Profit?'
'I don't do photography for a living and so this gives me the freedom to experiment and 'work' as I please. In pursuing an artistic passion like this, I enjoy fulfilment not only from the whole creative aspect, but also from contributing, where I can, to help make a positive difference to people and the world we live in.'
