Download - INSPIRING AND EDUCATING AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS …€¦ · The Sky’s the Limit. INSPIRATION. 10. Off the leash: David Darcy. David Darcy has become one of Australia’s best-known

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I N S P I R I N G A N D E D U C A T I N G A U S T R A L I A N P H O T O G R A P H E R S

David DarcyOff the leash

Krystle WrightExtreme adventure

Norman ShaproNot otherwise seen

ISSN 1839-5899

$12.95 INCL. GST Issue 58

Travel Photography } Ten tips for trouble-free picsWhat gear to take‘Convenience’ zoom lensesLocation: Kangaroo Island

Sharp shooting tipsNew autofocusing technologies+I S S N 1839-5899

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PHOTOREVIEW AUSTRALIA | Issue 58 www.photoreview.com.au 1

The process by which we select our front cover picture is not terribly formal. During the course of production, our talented artist Melissa Kallis picks out several candidates from among the photographs supplied for the Inspirations profiles. Sometimes the editorial team will flag a particular image as well. Then, as we close in on the final stages of production, she’ll create a handful of mock-ups for the team to choose from.

More often than not we all agree easily on which image ought to be used for the cover - and so it was on this occasion. But it wasn’t until we were just about to finish up that publisher David O’ Sullivan realised that we were also setting a precedent of sorts.

Although we’ve published Inspiration profiles on photographers who’ve come to our attention via their participation in our Photo Challenge, Norman Shapro’s striking blue-eyed bird picture is the first time we’ve selected a reader’s image for our cover (see page 18 for more of his work). I’m confident that it won’t take us another 58 issues to publish our next reader’s cover!

Speaking of the Inspiration section, I think I can say that we’ve assembled a diverse selection for your enjoyment. Joining Norman Shapro is adventure photographer Krystle Wright and Aussie working dog portraitist, David Darcy. As you’ll see, young Krystle isn’t afraid to put herself in some pretty extraordinary spots to capture an image, and David must surely be half photographer, half dog whisperer...

On an arguably more radical note, Photo Review Issue 58 is also the first to be published without a single equipment review. And no, this doesn’t mean that technical editor Margaret Brown has decided to take a sabbatical from her test bench. In fact quite the opposite is the case.

While equipment reviews are traditionally a significant part of a typical photography magazine’s editorial mix, for a quarterly like Photo Review there is always a problem with timeliness. As product release cycles have become shorter, the challenge has only become greater. With the proliferation of online review sites, it has become imperative for Margaret to source and review equipment within weeks of the official release date.

As many readers will know, Margaret’s reviews appear on photoreview.com.au, in our newsletter, and in our new app edition at the same time or even ahead of some of the world’s largest equipment review sites.

The contrast with the publication cycle of a quarterly magazine

could hardly be more stark. Too often we would be publishing equipment reviews weeks or even months after the gear was released. Worse, it frequently happens that a major release occurs just after we’ve gone to press. Nor, due to the obvious space limitations of conventional publication, can the reviews be anything like as comprehensive as the online versions.

So, we’ve re-jigged the editorial mix with issue 58. There are more images to inspire you and, as you’ll find when you explore this edition, Margaret is focusing her print editorial efforts on enlarging your knowledge of the technology and techniques of photography. This time around she acquaints you with the intricacies of modern autofocus systems, shows how to come back with sharp images and then turns her attention to planning and preparing for your next photographic expedition. And, just for good measure, she writes from personal experience about the many photographic and touring opportunities to be found on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island. } Don Norris, Editor

Vale Lewis Morley

Not long after going to press with our last issue, we learned that Lewis Morley, one of photography’s great practitioners had died. I consider it one of the highlights of my editorship, and indeed of my life, to have spent many hours in conversation with Lewis. I first met Lewis and his wife Pat when I contacted him in mid-2007 about possibly conducting an interview for the magazine. Not only did he agree, but he subsequently invited me back for a number of follow up interviews, the final results of which appeared in the Autumn 2007 edition. I’ll never forget spending several hours with Lewis, looking through archive box after archive box of his work. What had probably been the front parlour of his little house in Leichardt was stacked high with hundreds of boxes and albums filled with astonishingly vivid images from London in the Swinging Sixties. And every time he opened another box or folder, there’d be a dozen images I desperately wanted to publish... Vale Lewis. You were a true gentleman and it was an honour to have known you.

Our Editor

Photo Review editor Don Norris is reasonably certain that he took his first photograph with a well worn Leica IIIc at age 14. Every picture from that camera had a sort of soft, hazy look because the original screwmount lens was heavily scratched from years in the field with Don’s geologist father Robert M. Norris. But using the little camera ignited a passion for picture taking that is now into its fourth decade. Convert those 40 years into the cameras he’s used most intensively and the sequence reads: Leica IIIc, Miranda SLR, Nikkormat SLR, Nikon FM, Nikonos III, Bolex H16, Mamiya C-33, Wista 4x5, Olympus E10, Nikon D70s, Nikon D90 and Nikon D7000. A few years after taking up photography, Don discovered the second great passion in his life (after his family of course!) when a summer job in Hawaii coincided with buying his first surfboard. In 1984 he migrated from his native California to Australia and these days he lives on Sydney’s northern beaches from which he not only edits this magazine but also runs Australia’s most popular surfing community website, www.realsurf.com.

FOR THE VERY LATEST PHOTO NEWS AND REVIEWS} Our Newsletter:

www.bit.ly/prnewsletter

} On Twitter: www.twitter.com/photoreview www.twitter.com/mr_realsurf

} Our RSS feed: www.photoreview.com.au/rss/list

} On Facebook: www.bit.ly/phrfacebook

Ringing a change or twoOur 58th edition features a pair of firsts.

EDITORIAL

The late Lewis Morley (see column right)

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2 PHOTOREVIEW AUSTRALIA | Issue 58 www.photoreview.com.au

1 Editorial

5 Products & Trends The third quarter of 2013 has seen the

options for enthusiast camera buyers expand significantly.

8 Photo Challenge Wildlife winner and next challenge:

The Sky’s the Limit.

INSPIRATION10 Off the leash: David Darcy David Darcy has become one of Australia’s

best-known photographers by following his nose into specialising in the nation’s iconic rural dogs.

18 What is not otherwise seen: Norman Shapro

From his film beginnings to his digital present, for Norman Shapro photography has always been about the image and not about the technology.

24 The Wright Way: Krystle Wright

The problem with trying to interview an adventure photographer is that they’re often on adventures.

32 Image Review Don’s take on images by Sasa Ivanovic,

Ray Baker, and Ellen Wilson.

INSIDER36 New Autofocusing

Technologies A look at some of the new systems

camera manufacturers have developed to improve autofocusing performance.

TECHNIQUE 38 Sharp Pictures Techniques for obtaining sharp

images in most situations.

CONTENTS

26

14

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Editor Don Norris [email protected]

Technical Editor Margaret [email protected]

Trade News Editor Keith [email protected]

Contributor Steve Packer

Creative Director Darren Waldren

Publisher David O’[email protected]

Publication Manager Pauline [email protected]

Accounts Manager Kate [email protected]

Media [email protected]

AdvertisingPhone (02) 9948 [email protected]

SubscriptionsOne year (4 issues) $29.00 including GST and delivery in Australia.See page 35 this issue or phone: (02) 9948 8600 or online:www.photoreview.com.au

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I N S P I R I N G A N D E D U C A T I N G A U S T R A L I A N P H O T O G R A P H E R S

David DarcyOff the leash

Krystle WrightExtreme adventure

Norman ShaproNot otherwise seen

ISSN 1839-5899

$12.95 INCL. GST Issue 58

Travel Photography } Ten tips for trouble-free picsWhat gear to take‘Convenience’ zoom lensesLocation: Kangaroo Island

Sharp shooting tipsNew autofocusing technologies+I S S N 1839-5899

TRAVEL 43 10 Tips for Trouble-free

Travel Photography How to reduce stress and come home

with some great memories of your trip.

48 Kangaroo Island A pristine wilderness with plenty of

subjects to photograph just off the coast of South Australia.

53 What Gear to Take on Your Holiday

As you plan your summer holidays, give some thought to the equipment you take along.

58 ‘Convenience’ Zoom Lenses An overview of the ‘all-in-one’ zoom lenses

that have become popular with snapshooters and travelling photographers.

NET EFFECT63 Net Effect Websites to fascinate the photographer.

Cover image “Satin Bowerbird”by Norman ShaproSee page 18

CONTENTS

53

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PRODUCTS & TRENDS

Vintage year for camera releases Could anybody have predicted the speed with which smartphones have replaced compact cameras?

In less than 12 months, an entire class of product has been rendered socially if not technologically obsolete. There is still some interest in compacts: superzooms; outdoor/underwater/weatherproofed models; and up-market models like the Ricoh GR and the Canon G1X, which professional photographers wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen carrying in their shirt pocket. But the shrinking camera shelves in the likes of Harvey Norman and Big W bear testament to the rapid demise of the dedicated compact camera as a mass market product. That’s quite a milestone when you consider Kodak kicked off the amateur camera craze back in 1880-something!

To indulge in a fairly safe generalisation, dedicated compact cameras will still deliver better higher-quality images than the cameras built into smartphones, but superior images are almost irrelevant to the snapshooter market. The ability to share images direct from the device trumps image quality. Good enough is good enough. What’s not good is being seen out in public with last year’s technology (To mangle one of President Kennedy’s famous quotes, we are all nerds, now). Compact cameras, as far as the mass market is concerned, are so utterly 20th Century!

It’s little wonder, then, that camera makers have been like deer staring at the oncoming headlights of the smartphone juggernaut for the best part of 2013. No-one from the marketing departments told the camera designers to stop designing me-too, incrementally-better-than-last-year’s-model-but-in-pink cameras, because no-one had the foresight to see that they would be surplus to requirements once the smartphone, tablet and phablet show hit town.

But the camera companies have picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and struck out in all directions to either maintain or establish a market for their products for the future. As a result there is plenty of reason to visit your friendly local camera store this summer. Things have changed. Really changed.

In the past few weeks the following models have been released:

• Panasonic Lumix GX7;• Olympus OM-D EM-1;• Pentax K3;• Nikon 610;• Sony a7, a7r.

Fujifilm shouldn’t be ignored in an article about exciting new camera technology for enthusiasts. It was probably first cab off the rank with its advanced, large-sensor X-series rangefinders and mirrorless interchangeable models. The October release of the X-E2 interchangeable represents the third generation of a family of cameras which are winning plaudits and sales around the world for their impressive performance and attractive retro styling, and Fujifilm has shown it’s serious about the premium end of the market by supporting these cameras with a broad selection of lenses.

The Nikon 610 is perhaps the least remarkable of these cameras, as it’s a minor tweak to the D600, but it’s worth mentioning here because at around $2000 for the body, it makes full-frame photography an affordable prospect for enthusiasts. Not the first DSLR to do so, but a probable pointer to where the enthusiast DSLR market is heading.

The other ‘traditional’ DSLR in this list, the Pentax K3, is remarkable in delivering the first switchable anti-aliasing filter, extending the capabilities of the camera’s sensor so that it’s almost two cameras in one. Then there’s the tank-like build, the weather sealing, and the tasty price, particularly in the Australian and New Zealand markets, for what is really a pro standard camera. (The modest sales Pentax achieves in Australia is testament to the lack of value awareness of the camera-buying public. Pentax cameras don’t attract the special premium some other camera makers add to the local price.)

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 and the Olympus OMD EM-1 see the two key M4/3 players perfecting their technology. Both these cameras were highly rated Photo Review Editor’s Choices, not least because they both not only have actual viewfinders, but bright, high resolution viewfinders

Olympus OM-D EM-1

Pentax K3

Sony a7 sensor

at that. Why camera designers decided that LCD screens were perfectly adequate substitutes for viewfinders is a mystery of Easter Island proportions. They will never be, as long as photographers insist on taking pictures outdoors in any kind of daylight. An LCD screen which was able to outdo sunlight would not only flatten the camera battery in short time, but distract low-flying planes and burn out the user’s retina!

The GX7’s electronic viewfinder can also be tilted upwards - something no optical viewfinder can do. The sleek, compact rangefinder styling also incorporates sensor-shift stabilisation, and built-in Wi-Fi for image sharing with, and remote control by, smart devices.

The Olympus E-M1 adds extra performance features to what many would nominate as the stand-out enthusiast camera release of 2012, the E-M5. (Why the E-M1 comes after the E-M5 is anybody’s guess, unless Olympus is trying to hint that the E-M1 is somehow resonant of the classic Olympus OM-1 film camera. But Olympus is not alone in having a confounding and illogical naming system for their cameras.)

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Full-frame rulesFull-frame sensors aren’t simply about larger pixels and thus cleaner images. While digital camera technology runs rings around what could be achieved using 35mm film cameras, the one critical image capture feature in which enthusiast film cameras still maintained the edge over APS-C-format enthusiast digital cameras is depth-of-field control. Yet it’s arguably the most important tool in the creative photographer’s toolkit. That ability to easily isolate a subject from the background or foreground is fairly well non-existent in small-sensor digital compacts, unless the subject and background are separated by considerable distance, and not nearly as easy with M4/3 and APS-C format sensors.

The whys and wherefores of circles of confusion, hyperfocal distances and all the other headache-inducing technicalities behind understanding depth of field are beyond the scope of this article (and the competence of the writer!) to explain. Without getting into the maths of the thing, depth of field is inversely proportional to format size. So an M4/3 camera has twice the depth of field at any given aperture and focal length as a full frame camera (as the sensor is half the size), and an APS-C camera 1.5 or 1.6x the depth of field. This is an advantage when the photographer wants maximum sharpness through the image (get something in focus with a small

PRODUCTS & TRENDS

Improvements include a better grip, a larger viewing screen, and a viewfinder which automatically adjusts brightness levels to suit ambient lighting conditions.

The impressive 5-axis image stabilisation system has been improved, and it’s a camera demonstrator’s delight. Hand-held video on the move appears as if shot on a tracking system thanks to this remarkable innovation, as was shown to attendees by the enthusiastic staff on the Olympus stand at The Digital Show in Melbourne in September.

But, saving the best ‘til last, the new Sony full frame mirrorless interchangeables are the models which have the potential to really disrupt the established order in digital cameras. With their Zeiss lenses, lightweight

Sony a7

(around 400 grams) and slimline bodies, aluminium alloy chassis, mid-range pricing and above all the full frame sensors in both the 24-megapixel a7 and 36-megapixel a7r, these new cameras challenge Olympus and Panasonic for enthusiast applications, and Canon and Nikon full-frame pro DSLRs.

The ($2000 body-only) a7 will be preferred by enthusiasts and professionals due to its superior

hybrid AF system, while the extra megapixels in the ($2500) a7r and lack of anti-alias filter will better suit it to studio photography. Purists might argue that electronic viewfinders can’t match true optical viewfinders, but our fastidious technical editor, Margaret Brown has no quibbles with the XGA OLED, 1.3cm, 2.4 million dot unit on the a7.

The EVF on the a7 has a fast refresh rate that makes it ideal for recording movement, both when shooting stills and recording movies.

And it adds the convenience of being able to display camera settings and playback recorded images and video clips without the user having to take their eye from the scene. This is a great advantage in bright outdoor lighting, where LCD monitors usually become unreadable.

sensor compact and more than likely you will have everything in focus) but reduces control at the other end - where the photographer wants a shallow depth of field.

Especially in bright light, where apertures need to be closed down to prevent overexposure, this has been an intrinsic challenge when using non full-format sensors for specific compositions. Portraits are a good example, as the success of the composition usually depends on highlighting the subject - pulling them out from the background. Using neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor can help, but that’s more in the way of a workaround. Full-frame sensors are the real solution. Full frame sensors combined with lenses with wide maximum apertures provide direct depth-of-field control over the widest range of shooting situations.

Full frame sensors, lenses with wide maximum apertures, and the ability to dial ISO up or down between shots - something one couldn’t do with a roll of film - actually gives the photographer even more control over depth of field with a DSLR than he or she had with a film SLR.

But until the arrival in the last 12 months or so of the first few full-frame DSLRs at prices the average enthusiast can countenance, and now these new full-frame mirrorless interchangeables from Sony, this combination has been denied to the non-professional.

And for the professional, there’s no particular virtue in lugging around kilos of bulky camera bodies and heavy lenses. It’s simply been, until now, the only way to get the shot. But most pros would gladly swap a 15 kilo camera bag for something a little easier on the shoulders, provided they could be guaranteed of getting the same results.

While the full reviews haven’t yet come in on the actual performance of the new Sonys, the initial reaction of technical types (see Margaret Brown’s ‘First Look’ review on the PR website) has been extremely positive. With the compact market pretty well totalled, and DSLR sales dipping for the first time, the industry was crying out for some innovation. OIympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony have responded with these latest releases. One would expect Canon and Nikon to respond to what looks like a multi-faceted challenge to the Canon-Nikon dominance of the camera market. As Ms Brown remarks in her conclusion to the Sony a7 First look review, ‘this appears to be the beginning of a great time for digital photographers’.

} Keith Shipton www.photocounter.com.au

Correction: In Photo Review Sep-Nov 2013 issue page 22 ‘About John Cato (Tribute Show)’ is about Jack Cato, John Cato’s father. See more on John Cato at www.johncato.com.au.

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PHOTO CHALLENGE

Photo Challenge: Wildlife

Our wildlife challenge revealed that Photo Review readers can be pretty handy with a lens when it comes to capturing the drama of the natural world. We went back and forth on the winner, before settling on Peta Burton’s strangely balletic image of a whale mid-roll. The horizon may be slightly wonky, but we’re inclined to forgive that detail given that Peta was on a pitching, yawing, slewing boat when she grabbed the memorable moment. As our winner Peta will receive a Kata Revolver-8PL Backpack (RRP $295).

We gave first runner-up to Marie McCrae for her impressively timed picture of a diving bird and its hapless prey. Erwin Jackson’s nicely illuminated study of flying foxes at Yarra Bend is an attractive example of how to use repetition effectively. Robert Zappia maintains his usual consistency we thought with the swirling motion of his picture of two seals engaged in some sort of ‘discussion’. Ian Reichstein’s young echidna made the cut because it evoked the “aw…” response in every viewer we showed it to.

} FIRST PLACE ‘Backstroke’ by Peta Burton. “The sun-soaked 7am starts 20 km offshore in 166’ of water where breaching humpbacks leave you wide-eyed and emotionally charged. This 15m plus mammal was majestic, acrobatic and animated. It back-stroked over to our boat, dived under and up on the other side to continue its upside down performance; one of the greatest shows on earth.”

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PHOTO CHALLENGE

The Sky’s the LimitWe love a wide open challenge and what could be wider or more open than making the sky the hero of your picture. Inspired by J.M.W. Turner’s glorious skies at the recent exhibition Turner from the Tate at the National Gallery, Canberra, we thought it would fun to see how our photo challengers portrayed the quiet - and sometimes not so quiet - spectacle taking place over our heads every day. Your image doesn’t have to be limited to just the sky, but it should clearly be the dominant compositional element in your picture. You are now cleared for take off! The prize for this challenge is a Pro Roller Lite™ 250 AW (RRP $345), a rolling bag with a compact profile. Lightweight and lean, it fits a pro-sized outfit plus a laptop.

} HERE ARE THE RULESTo enter the challenge all you have to do is send us your best image (we’ll consider up to three images per photographer).

1) Entries should only be new images that have been taken in response to the set challenge.

2) This isn’t a photo manipulation contest, so minimal post-capture processing is a given. Sharpening, colour correction and so forth are fine, but adding extra layers isn’t.

3) Please supply images as jpegs at 2048 pixels on the longest side.

4) Please submit all images to [email protected] or to the gallery at www.photoreview.com.au and be sure to enter ‘photochallenge’ in the tags field. Any questions: please email us at [email protected] (Photographers whose work we publish in the magazine will be contacted for the high-resolution version of their pictures.)

5) Please put your caption(s) in the File Info (metadata area) of your image(s), or with the accompanying message. When saving your images, please change the file name so that it incorporates your first initial and last name and the challenge you’re entering (eg, jsmith_chall_smallvslarge.jpg).

6) All photographers retain copyright to their submitted image(s). Photo Review retains the right to publish submitted image(s) in the magazine, mag app, and on www.photoreview.com.au.

TAKE THE NEXT PHOTO REVIEW CHALLENGE

à Please review the rules and email your entries to [email protected]. Deadline for entries is February 27, 2014 and the winning pictures will be published in our June-August 2014 edition.

} FIRST RUNNER-UP ‘Snack time’ by Marie McCrae.

} See www.photochallenge.com.au for Honourable Mentions.

} SECOND RUNNER-UP ‘Rising to the Sunset’ by Erwin Jackson.Grey-headed fox colony, Yarra Bend, Melbourne. Nikon D3S, ISO 2500, Nikkor 500mm f3 with 1.7x teleconverter, f/8 at 1/1500.

http://www.lpx.com.au/products/prorollerliteaw.html

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INSPIRATION


On the set of Red Dog with Koko

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INSPIRATION

Off the leashDavid Darcy has become one of Australia’s best-known photographers by following his nose into specialising in the nation’s iconic rural dogs.By Steve Packer


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INSPIRATION

What have you been doing this week?I’ve been in my studio, transcoding footage I shot in the Northern Territory with my Canon 5D cameras for an AMRRIC (Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities) DVD called Safety Around Camp Dogs. It’s mainly to give service workers who go into Aboriginal communities some tips on staying safe around the dogs, and to show the community members that their dogs can be a hindrance to receiving services from nurses and the like.

So your dog photography has interesting spin-offs.It does. In the last couple of years I’ve found myself wearing a number of hats. I started out on the typical path of being commissioned to photograph dogs in backyards. After having several books published and doing work for the movie Red Dog, other opportunities have opened up. That also includes appearing on television to promote responsible pet ownership as an ambassador for Bayer Animal Health (see www.friendsfurever.com.au).

How did you come to do the stills for Red Dog?The producer contacted me three years before the movie was made. He was a fan of my work and asked if they could use some of my pictures for their portfolios to get funding. Then I did stills on set and helped with the poster and marketing.

It was interesting being involved in a movie of that scale, but not the kind of work I’d chase day in, day out. It’s not the kind of glitz and glamour people might think it is.

What’s shown on screen is always surrounded by hard work and chaos.Exactly. It was rising at 4am, checking and setting up my gear, and chasing dogs around in the dust all day in temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees. I’d get back to my donga at 8pm, download the material and go to bed at 10pm. Then get up and do it all again the next day. There’s a lot of pressure, too. Sometimes I’d have 30 seconds at most to get in, get the shot and get out of the way.

But having the success of something like Red Dog... As soon as it’s mentioned, it’s ‘Oh, you did Red Dog. You’re obviously a viable person to use.’ Organisations like AMRRIC, Vets Beyond Borders and other animal welfare organisations see me as the premier dog photographer in Australia. Then there’s the publishing side of it. I’m getting great offers to do books all over the place.

By my count, you’ve done five books so far: Mongrel Country, Little Mongrels, Outback Mongrels, A Little Help For Our Friends and Australian Mongrels.And the sixth, Every Man and His Dog, is in a shipping container as we speak and will be on the shelves before Christmas.

It’s amazing how the books have come about. I’ve been lucky. A year after I started doing dog photography in 1999, I opened a small gallery in the Blue Mountains of NSW, where I grew up and still live. In the second week an agent walked in and it led to a call from Lothian Books in Melbourne.

Lucky takes a liking to me.

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INSPIRATION

‘It’s not just about the dogs. It’s about the dogs being in that Australian environment. I’ve always tried to create timeless, nostalgic photos...’

Jumping Steer

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INSPIRATION

Mervin and his mate

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INSPIRATION

‘After having several books published and doing work for the movie Red Dog, other opportunities have opened up.’

Mongrel Country came out a year later, it sold well and I did two more books for Lothian. Then I self-published a book, and Murdoch Books took me on for the most recent two. Now I’m working on book seven. I closed the gallery last year, by the way. With me being away so much on other work, it was no longer financially viable.

Many photographers have done dog books and lost money. What’s your secret?It always comes back to the general public. If they didn’t like what I do, I wouldn’t be able to continue doing it.

Even before I opened my gallery, I went down to the markets in Canberra, put up different kinds of dog pictures – not just the ones that I liked, but ones that friends liked too – and that gave me a lot of guidance in the first couple of years. I mean, I was shooting what I loved, but you have to take feedback on board if you expect people to buy your work.

What about the text you put with the photos?

The first five books were pretty much about the adventure and travels. How I’d get to the locations and meet the dogs, and what they meant to me while I was there. What’s refreshing about this latest book is that I’ve given voice to the people and let them tell their own stories. Probably 85 of the 86 blokes in the book really opened up to me about how they feel about their dogs.

Why have you specialised in photographing rural dogs?I’ve always been inspired by rural, outback Australia. As soon as I’m driving out there, I feel inspired to take photos and look for every angle. In the city there are a lot of distractions – for the dogs as well.

Also, I’ve always connected more with the bigger dogs, the working dogs – the kelpies, the collies, the cattle dogs. And they value their

RM at Hinnomunjie

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INSPIRATION

dogs in a different way in the country. I love the fact that I go to farms and these big burly blokes will proudly tell me how great their dog is, how it can do all these wonderful things, how it broke their heart when a previous dog died. Then I’ll talk to them at the pub, in front of their mates, and it’s, ‘Nah – it’s just a dog.’

In that respect, the rural ‘mongrel’ angle represents a whole Australian ethos.Absolutely. It’s not just about the dogs. It’s about the dogs being in that Australian environment. I’ve always tried to create timeless, nostalgic photos without many places or people that can be recognised. I mean, an old falling down fence could have been 50 years ago, or it could happen in 50 years’ time.

Going back to the beginning, how did you first get into photography?My father, Terence Darcy, was a professional photographer and I was splashing around in his darkroom at a young age. He’s a perfectionist, so I learnt to print well by having the bad pictures torn up in front of me.

I followed my father into the field of commercial, wedding and industrial work, and did a stint of fashion photography, but it just wasn’t for me. I gave it up and did

something else for eight years. Then when I was 26, I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I asked dad if I could borrow a couple of cameras so I could go away for a few weeks and get a feel for them again. I was in the Australian Alps of NSW doing landscape pictures when my girlfriend’s dog kept running into the frame. I put it up on a log and... Well, it was one of those lightbulb moments in life. Straight away I thought, ‘This is what I want to do. I’ll photograph dogs just being themselves.’

So you weren’t inspired by any particular photographers?Yes! My dad! He was a marvellous photographer and I always looked up to him. But there are a couple of things...

He didn’t know how to market himself to find a wider audience, and he did the same sort of work for many years and stopped enjoying it long before he retired in his late 50s. I’ve been careful not to go down those roads. I’ve always been aware of the need to market myself, and when I was doing dog commissions in backyards, it wasn’t long before I was heading out into the country to take it further. To explore and find situations, rather than be shoved into them.

Have you come across any dog story which stands out or has especially affected you?In Every Man and His Dog, there’s a bloke called Stephen who, as a young child, had a blood transfusion that went wrong. It cut off oxygen to his brain, resulting in disabilities including deafness. I turned up at his place and his dog, Coke, was dying of cancer. He’d had the dog for nine years and he told me it was his ears, his support whenever he needed to go somewhere and all that sort of thing. And now it was dying and he couldn’t do a thing about it. I think he would have given his own life to save it if he could.

I’ve seen dogs die and everyone has a sad story, but when you see someone whose dog is their life in so many ways... That really got to me. I had to stop and have a bawl.

} To see more of David Darcy’s work, visit the website www.mongrel.com.au

Doc in van at Coober Pedy

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