Des Harris March 2016
After 30 years as a commercial photographer in New Zealand, Ireland, Austraia and France, Des Harris, took a new journey, he stepped out of the light and into the darkness, guided by the lights on his journey home, bouyed by bonhomie and appero, he and his family realised that they had landmarks that were just as important as the ususal Parisian Tourist landmarks, but these were the signposts of Parisian revellers.
“My wife, son, and I often took advantage of the Paris nightlife, staying out until the early hours, apero, cocktails wining and dining, live music. This is what Paris was all about for us.” After socialising, at night they would then find themselves on the last metro home, or walking, taxiing. “Enroute home, there were landmarks, always lit up, that guided us along the way. The rest of the scene would change, the cars would be different, the people would be different, the shop windows would be different, but there was consistency in lit objects, or the lights themselves. Though somewhat nebulous, they would register in your slightly groggy head, reinforcing that you were on track. Guiding lights.” It sounds like an experience we have all had at one stage or another!
The images in this collection are Des’ interpretation of that period, those journeys. The surrounding area and path home. The shop next door, the hotel around the corner, the night club neons. The images are purposely grainy, blurry, wavy, reflecting his memories of the times, and here are 10 books that marked his journey as a photographer to this point!
01
HAROLD EVANS- PICTURES ON A PAGE
As I have worked as a press photographer, and also a corporate/pr who submitted to the press, this book helped me understand the process of the picture editor. Why one particular shot, over another in the series, is chosen. It is not always as obvious as composition, technical aspects or emotion.
I remember too that it helped me differentiate between a photojournalist and a documentary photographer. A bit of debatable terminology in the industry. One tells a story and the other records what happens. Elements of consideration when editors are choosing photos for publication. A must read for any budding photojournalist.
02
MAGNUM CONTACT SHEETS
I love to see the process of other photographers. This demonstrates the thought and execution they go through to get the images that we eventually see as iconic. It is a look behind the scenes. it reassures you that they do exactly like the rest of us photographers do, go through the process, struggle sometimes, work around, persist and eventually, hopefully, get a fantastic shot.
Not only that but it is a beautifully printed tome with wonderful picture quality.
03
ALAIN LEBOILE - En Attendant Le Facteur (Waiting for the Postman)
I only came across this photographer in Paris when his book was publicised at a Photo Book workshop I attended. It is a documentary of his family growing up around him. I love the simplicity and earnestness of their lifestyle, the voyeuristic approach to the photography that is unobtrusive.
Yes, the children may perform for the camera now and then, but no more than they would be performing for their siblings, their mum, their father. It shows their imagination as much as the photographer’s. It takes me through a journey of my own childhood, that of my children and now my grandchildren too. Wonderful work. The preface by Gérald Vidamment states “ Alain photographie à l’oreille. Il écoute la vie” “Alain photographs with his ears. He listens to life”.
04
MANUEL VANSON - Double Exposure
I attended a talk at a photo festival in Belfast, NI where the discussion was centred around exploring if the photograph itself was the work of art, or the subject that was being photographed was the work of art. A complex issue in itself. Inevitably, 3 out of 4 of the speakers were artists in their own right, using mediums other than photography to create visual art. They then started to photograph their art. And that become a secondary form of artwork in itself, especially since some of the created art was only temporary, so it became documentative photography as well.
Confused?
Manuel Vason has worked as a performance artist and still mixes in that circle of performers, artists. In this book he collaborates with performance artists, initially photographing them, then they use his body to emulate their performance and photograph him. I think I remember him saying it took about 3-4 years to complete. And of course he has made no money out of it whatsoever. But what a wonderful collaboration with other artists. I appreciate the effort put in to this images.
05
KAREN MCCARTNEY HOUSES 50/60/70 and also 70/80/90 Photography by Michael Wee.
I shoot architecture these days for my main source of income. When I say architecture, it could be for the eventual use as real estate marketing, interior magazines, architect or builder portfolios, interior designers and shopfitters etc. At any rate, the subject matter is the design and execution of architectural elements. My favourite era of residential and commercial buildings would most likely be post modern/mid century modern. I love the starkness, yet warmth, of natural materials, the insight that good planning brings to the end result.
These are two partnering books of two different periods. Forgive me for indulging in a two volume title. They are both wonderful photographic examples of Australian residential architecture that in indicative of the eras.
06
SUMO - HELMUT NEWTOWN (Taschen - 1999 oop)
see our other Helmut Newton books
This was a Taschen published book, aimed at being one of the biggest in the world. The original, signed and limited edition was 50cm x 70cm and at 30 kilos, sat on a Philippe Starck designed stand. I purchased a copy on it’s release just prior to Newton’s death. I bought it as an investment but loved to gently turn the pages wearing my white cotton gloves and admire the majesty of a book that had images grand enough to hang on a wall. It was a definite conversation piece and bough the images to life as if you were viewing them in a gallery. Sometimes size does matter. I sold it years later. And made money on it!
07
GAIL ALBERT HALABAN - Paris Views
I love this book. I love the concept. In fact I am jealous I didn’t think about it. Having lived apartment life in Paris I have experienced what Gail has photographed. It could be any city, anywhere. She has done the concept before in New York. But this is Paris.
I also love her execution. Sensitivity, collaboration and technically extremely good. It could have been done a number of different ways, with different styles, interpretations, connotations, but I admire her choice and love the outcome.
08
MONA KHUN - Evidence.
Of course, this is a Steidl publication. Lovely book.
I like the imagery. Mona Kuhn is prolific with her studies of the Human Form and with this project from 2007, has immersed herself in a nudist community in France. That is obvious, as the people seem comfortable with their nudity in the images. Interestingly though, most of the models are young and beautiful. Not older, or larger. This is extrapolated in an interview where Mona explains people’s decisions and outlooks changing as they get older and feel differently about their bodies.
I have a current project that I have been working on since early 2014. It is an exploration of a relationship with intimacy, sex and the question of love. Like Mona Khun’s techniques of shallow depth of field and selective focus I have used the same techniques to suggest hidden, behind the scenes, secreted liaisons. I feel it helps to add an element of the voyeur, foreground or background interest, looking through something. It is a work in progress.
09
Paris, Up, Up and Away by Hélène Druvert
This is a book I read to our Grand Daughter Ava.
At the moment my wife and son are still living in Paris, returning later this year. It is hard to comprehend how much they miss the grandchildren here in Australia. I’m lucky that I am back ahead of them and get to share some of the joy. We sent money across from Paris to our daughter to buy Xmas presents for the kids, with a preference on books. She very wisely chose this book. It is beautiful. The lasercuts are wonderful and 2 year old Ava keeps pointing out things and asking “what’s that?”. I get to explain, from first hand experience, what the images depict and how far away from Nana’s house it is. It both saddens and delights me.
10
LIFE MAGAZINE
Ok. My 10th “book” is not a book. It is a publication, a journal, magazine, periodical. I wasnearly going to say National Geographic because the photography is enough to fascinate any young person. But I have chosen Life magazine.
I look in my collection and see I have two books which are collections from the Life
archives. “Life - The First 50 Years 1936-1986”, and “The Great Life Photographers”, which just goes to show my penchant for photojournalism and reportage. I respect every one of these photographers that have ventured, possibly outside their comfort zones, in to the realms of discovery, reportage and exploration, and then report it back to us through the medium of photography. From Margaret Bourke White, to Robert Capa. I never reached that pinnacle of a great photojournalist. I became a mere working photographer, earning a living in the commercial realm, envious of the totally mythical life that these gets lived in.
Of course their reality was totally different from my young imagination. But the experiences that were conjured up by their imagery was to influence the course of my life. I did get to meet John G. Morris in Paris, the London editor responsible for publishing Capa’s photos and author of the wonderful reference “Get the Picture”. Memorable. I feel it is an era that has passed somewhat as the world, and the media showing it to us, gets smaller, more accessible and harder to define honestly. A wonderful publication in all it’s reincarnations.
