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This time around we get a brief glimpse into the mind of Tom Dinning…
Tell us a little about yourself and your photographic journey.
https://flic.kr/p/yqs69u
From beginning to now, it’s been less of a journey and more like a car wind screen collecting squashed insects at high speed.
After completing my teaching qualifications in NSW Australia in 1967 in Science and Photography (the photography part was to get me into the darkroom where I could meet girls) I found myself being labelled as a photographer, as one does when they own a ‘good camera’, a Rollie flex 2.8C. This not only led to an inevitable path to teaching photography to every snotty nosed teenager they could fit into my classroom, but a run of weddings, portraits, retail (Paxton Photographic), court photographer, and consultant for the Department of Education in anything to do with photography.
I learned two things from this experience: how to say NO! and how to fake it when I didn’t know what I am talking about.
Photography also became a way of escape from the tedium of family life, politics, religion and the law, all of which I found distasteful and annoying – and still do. Hiding behind a camera was a secure and safe option. In between shoots I surfed, flew a hang-glider, learnt to beat off adversaries with martial arts and travelled Australia and the world.
https://flic.kr/p/z5RUxj
Because I grew up in an era when photography was less common and more admired through physical contact with photographers, I had the opportunity to meet and work with many proficient photographers, most of which are now dead. They were not famous. They were the old style street photographers of the 1950’s and 1960’s who my Old Man knew intimately. They could wield a Rollie flex or Speed Graphic as if it were an appendage and snap away at the unsuspecting crowd. How I wanted to be like them.
https://flic.kr/p/zoktbR
My fascination in photographing the passing parade in the street continued to develop and does so even now. The photographers who excite me the most are people like Gary Winogrand, WeeGee, Martin Parr, Robert Doisneau, Brassai, William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Jane Bown, …. the list goes on. These photographers considered less of composure and more of the randomness of the event or structure that was presented to them. Everything was of interest; from dead bodies to the gaudiness of the English summer holiday or a car park in Ohio. They stepped out of the norm and drew blank to the ‘rule’. Beauty took on a new meaning and I wanted to be there. People such as David Adams, Susan Sontag and John Szarkowski wrote about the photograph and I couldn’t get enough.
I shot fast and furiously. I still do. Nothing and no-one is safe.
https://flic.kr/p/zntSLFhttps://flic.kr/p/zmqve1
Unfortunately, this stuff doesn’t sell until you are dead, so I continued to teach so I could eat. Even now I can’t resist talking to an excited student with a camera in their hand. I consider myself a teacher above all things. I just happen to take photographs as well.
Where am I now? Still shooting, still testing myself, still fascinated with photography and how it changes the way we think about all things. Writing about photographs is an important aspect to what I do. No photograph draws a blank as far as thoughts go. I feel obliged to write that down, probably so I don’t forget.
https://flic.kr/p/yqABNtMy advice to all who follow is pretty straight forward and it’s what I was told all those years ago and a few times along the way:
Appreciate everything. All things have equal value in front of the lens.
Pay attention. Take a picture of it. Then pay attention to the photograph.
Don’t confuse beauty, reality, truth and the facts, of which all have nothing to do with the image.
A photograph well taken is as good as any lie.
If you want to be a better [photographer] you need to be a better person.
The truth is there are no rules, there is no god and there is no escape from the tax man.
https://flic.kr/p/xMuxcDMore of what I do can be found at:
http://www.notesfromthecamera.blogspot.comIf Toad from Toad Hollow hasn’t had his say yet, he’d be worth hearing from.
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Tom is one of my biggest heroes in the photography space, I love his style of photography and writing very much indeed. I also know from personal experience that he loves cats.. please don’t hesitate to email him directly with any photos of cats you have, he would really like that.
OK, now that the shoe has been thrown in my general direction, I believe my work here is done for the day…
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@falx shhhhhhhhhhh!!! Don’t say that too loud, you’ll ruin my reputation!! LOL 😀
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