July’s Photographer of the Month – Brian Terrey
Brian Terrey came runner up in our May photography competition themed ‘Cities’ and very kindly agreed to be our July photographer of the month. We’ve asked Brian a few questions about his life as a photographer, have a read to see what he had to say…
Why did you get into photography?
My first introduction into photography was over 35 years ago. As a child I had grown up using very basic cartridge type cameras, they were very popular back then for taking quick snaps, nothing of any quality, just point, click and hope. Even back then I do remember how annoyed I was at my parents when they didn’t get a shot straight or they cut off someone’s head/feet etc…
What’s the history behind your photography?
As I grew up and became aware that better cameras did exist but it wasn’t until I was 16 and had my first job that I could actually afford to buy one. I bought my first real camera in the early 80’s, a Minolta X-700 SLR which for its time was quite an advanced 35mm. My best mate at the time was also into photography and we spent most evenings and weekends touring Dorset looking for the perfect shot.
The X-700 was a manual focus camera, in fact apart from a couple of basic modes it was all manual. Back then that was normal and it took me almost a year to learn how to use it properly. The best thing about owning a manual camera is it teaches you how the camera actually works, how it uses light and how aperture and shutter speeds combine to achieve the desired effect.
Over the next few years I bought a few more SLR cameras. My favourite at the time was the Canon T70, this had much sharper lines than previous cameras and it had lost the retro styling, not dissimilar to the modern cameras today.
What can you tell us about your photography today?
I always enjoyed photography but it wasn’t a cheap hobby, processing costs back then were expensive and as I got older I found with the pressure of mortgage payments and recession, more and more my camera was left on the shelf. As with many, it wasn’t until the digital cameras hit the shelves that my interest returned.
Over the last 14 years I have bought a succession of digital cameras. I started with a Sony Cyber shot DSC-P1 compact, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about digital photography, I have upgraded my camera almost every year since.
My camera I use at the moment is a Panasonic Lumix G5, this is a superb micro 4/3 camera which has all the controls and quality of a full size DSLR’s without the bulk. Its the perfect camera for me at the moment as I have a 2 year old son (Benjamin) and carrying all his bits and pieces around, along with a camera, lenses and tripod can be tricky.
How do you pursue photography as a hobby?
Most of my photography revolves around landscape work, flowers, water etc…. I have never been too keen on portrait work but have often been asked to be a fill in photographer at weddings etc…
I work full time as a Ceramic Tiler, so for me photography is still more of a hobby, although I would love to give up the day job and become a professional.
Recently I have started my own website: www.terreyphoto.co.uk to display some of my shots, from there people can browse my galleries and buy prints if they wish. I have also displayed at fetes and craft shows where I have had a good response to my work and have sold many prints. Whilst it is nice to sell prints etc.. it is also nice just to get a good response from people, it gives me great pleasure when someone else says they like what I’ve done.
What was the idea behind the photo you entered into our May photography competition?
I was extremely pleased to be awarded runner up in the May photo competition. Its strange that this picture was never meant to be an arty shot. In fact the conditions that day were not exactly great for photography of any kind. We had arranged a trip to see the city, go on the London eye, take some city shots and visit a few famous places. Unfortunately the day we choose was cold, wet and cloudy. Most of the shots looked dull and lifeless and after many failed attempts to get a decent shot I decided to play around a bit to see if I could shoot something a little different. The windows of the pod we were in was covered with raindrops, there were so many of them, so close together that it was almost impossible to focus them out. Instead I tried to get both the raindrops and the other pod in focus. This proved a little tricky as getting good depth of field in the low light was difficult. In the end I took a few shots that seemed ok and then moved on. Later that evening when I viewed the shot on my PC, I was surprised how much of the shot had actually focussed. Although most of the background was dull, almost B/W, the pod looked quite colourful with it’s artificial lighting. I decided to have a little play, by layering to identical shots together, converted the front to B/W and then painted back the pod colouring. This made the pod stand out from the background, I think the B/W background added more atmosphere to the city. I saved the result and then sent it in to PFE, to my surprise I came 2nd.
What do you plan to do with your competition winnings?
I haven’t yet spent my winnings at PFE but I have always wanted a panoramic print made up for the hallway. Getting the frame the size I want is almost impossible so I intend to use the winnings to get a custom made frame for this.
I would like to say a big thank you to Picture Frame Express for featuring me as Photographer of the Month for July. If anyone would like more information about my photographic work please visit my website at www.terreyphoto.co.uk. or contact me on terreyphoto@gmx.co.uk
Brian Terrey
Thanks Brian for being our photographer of the month in July, you can view a gallery of Brian’s work on our Facebook page! If you’d like to be featured as our photographer of the month, email marketing@frame-express.net.
