professional practice journal

SIMON ROBERTS



background in human geography - ba 1996

started out as a photojournalist for a small newspaper

very particular about keeping the rights to his images. keeps track of how his images are used.

"the way you are going to survive is to have good ideas". ideas are your currency.

RODINA

he had a very aware understanding of being a white western photographer. knowingly tried not to have preconceptions or a sort of tick list - as a normal tourist would. by using text aside his images challenges further preconceptions readers might have.

methodology

landscapes straight, made for reading and being informative. inspiration from russian landscape painting.
portraits no emotional content, made to have them looking at you. interviews after images to keep distance from subject and avoid subjectivity.

for the motherland book he started using blogs as a method to make the book more widely approachable, also for publicity purposes. assigned a guestbook for people to respond in, this allowed him to build up a database of people who enjoy his work for easier publicity for later projects.

WE ENGLISH

2009

aware of placing himself in a long line of british landscape photographers. deliberately used a 5x4 camera (for rodina he used a mamiya 6x7) to slow down the process. this allowed him to become almost invisible because of the unthreatening nature of his camera and the slowness of the process of taking an image.

created a blog to gather ideas and have people propose places and events.

decided to shoot every image from an elevated hight (the caravan). included big skies as well as a reference to british landscape painting. decided to shoot beautiful images of leisure time and the idealised countryside. with the 5x4 he would find the spot first and let the situation unfold as he was there. often he would take a picture in the other direction of the first idea he had.

THE ELECTIONS PROJECT

commisioned as the elections artist.

huge amounts of research - the help of a professional.


TOP TIPS

always keep in mind the landscape and how it evidences the current time.
your own pictures work harder for you than editorial work.
never make enemies - you never know where they might end up.
clarify your intentions - then your equipment.