Paul Anthony Photography

Interview with Francois Razon - 27/11/08

FR - How did you first get into photography?

PA - By accident. I had been involved in a couple of film projects because I wanted to direct. I still do. But during that time I started becoming interested in photography, mostly through books. Also the results were a lot more immediate than film-making, and cheaper. I could do it by myself.

FR - Black and white, these books?

PA - Generally, yes. There were the obvious ones like Cartier-Bresson, Bill Brandt, Andre Kertesz - but there were others, too. Some of these books were obscure compilations that I used to buy from flea-markets or second-hand bookshops. I also used to go to a lot of auctions and collect photography catalogues, so I started to discover the likes of Juliet Margaret Cameron, Roger Fenton, Edward. S. Curtis, Wily Ronis, and so on.

FR - What was your first camera?

PA - An electronic Nikon. I can't remember the model.

FR - Film?

PA - Yes, but it didn't last long. It broke. So I bought myself a Leica.

FR - Digital doesn't interest you?

PA - I'm not entirely against it. But, for me, there's no comparison between a good hand-print and a digitial one. I think that when you look at a digitial photo on a computer screen it looks fine - but when you see the real thing it, it's very different. I much prefer the look of film, although a good photograph will always be a good photograph, regardless. And as I think it's very hard to earn a living from just selling prints, that's another reason for people to go digital, apart from the obvious advantage of it being less expensive.

FR - In your opinion, what is this difference between a good hand-print and a digital one?

PA - In my opinion, there's no depth of field with digital. It's flat and not three dimensional. I enjoy the darkroom, too, including the smell of chemicals. Also, there's no proof that a digital print will last a long time. I have heard some strange things.

FR - Such as?

PA - Well, I heard that a test was once done where a digital print was hung on a wall with sunlight shining often on it through a window, and it started to fade after a while. I also heard a lady once say "my ink cartridge company told me that my photographs will last two hundred years! But how does one know? She was, I would say, in her fifties. But there are three sides to every story, of course. I could be biased because I believe that all the best photographers used film.

FR - But that's because there was only film then?

PA - Exactly.

FR - Could you ever see yourself going digital?

PA - Not unless I had to.

FR - What would you say to people who say "what you're doing has all been done before?"

PA - Well, all my photographs are individual. I've never seen one that's identical to another. But show me something that hasn't been done before? Should I not use a Leica? Should I not take photographs of people? Should I not use black and white film? For me, it's still the most interesting type of photography, when it's good. I have genuinely felt that from the response that I have had from people at my exhibitions. Not everyone, but most - and from people who appreciate the history of photography, which is pleasing.

FR - Would you say that street photography has changed over the years?

PA - Very much so. When I look at old photographs one of the first things I notice is that there were less cars around - therefore there was more space. Less railings, bollards, street-signs, etc.

FR - Has this made it more difficult?

PA - I think it has.

FR - What about people, have they changed towards the camera?

PA - Maybe more paranoid and less innocent. But it's not something I can really say for sure because I wasn't around then. I like to think it's more difficult. I depends on where you go, too. For example, when I was in Cuba people were very friendly and often asked to have their photo's taken, including children. Here you have to be very careful pointing a camera at a child.

FR - Why do you think that is?

PA - I think people are more agressive here (interview conducted in London) Not everyone, of course. Or maybe they don't have the same pressures as us. I mean they have pressure, but different. I'd like to say it's the sun, but there are plenty of places that are dangerous even though the climate is warm.

FR - How long were you there for?

PA - I went for two weeks, but after a week I caught a flu. So the last five or six days I don't think I took any photo's.

FR - You don't do you're own printing?

PA - No. I want to be out taking photo's as much as I can. I don't have the time. Also I have a very good dark-room printer in Melvin Cambetti-Davies. He's a real artist, and makes it look very easy. Anyone can take a good photo, but not anyone can print a good print.

FR - You've recently got yourself a medium-format camera. Does this mean that your photography will change?

PA - Not entirely. I just want to try something different. A dream of mine is to live on a boat and photograph the Thames, constantly moving up and down. Pounding the pavement all day can be exhausting. I've always been into architecture, too. A Leica is not so ideal for that type of photography.

FR - Ever feel guilty about some of the photographs you take?

PA - Yes, and it's something that I think about quite a lot. With homeless or mentally ill people, even if I have the opportunity, I often walk away, more so now than ever before. My attitude is changing and I am becoming more sensitive to the idea that it's not always okay to point a camera at someone. But, and I must say this, when I am working fast and on instinct, if I thought about everything that I was about to take, then I wouldn't get the photo's that I do. There are some people who I've snapped and will never show publicly. Sometimes I can ask, too, and often they are more than happy to oblige. I like to take photo's of these people when I can't see their faces. They are the ones that I feel comfortable showing. I am more than capable of giving them a pound or two as well, even when I have no desire to snap them. I do feel a sincere symapthy towards disadvantaged people, and often speak to them about their situation. I've often wondered what the odds would be of one of these people spotting themseves in a book, opening a page and seeing themselves, or someone else, a friend maybe recognising them.

FR - Some may enjoy it?

PA - I'm sure they would.

FR - Do you take less photo's now than when you started?

PA - It depends. More because I make more time for myself to take photo's now? Or less because I now know what I'm looking for and my eye is more selective?

FR - More selective.

PA - If I find a situation interesting then I can use a roll of film very quickly. For example, a little while back I was strolling along the Southbank and there was a chap demonstrating these bubble-blowing kits to the public. There was lots of parents standing around with their kids having fun and I shot a whole roll of film and got nothing, because in crowds it's very hit and miss. You've got no control over what's going on, so even if you have a good shot of one person, if the background's not right then it doesn't make a good photo. Everything has to be right. At other times I can walk around for days and not take any shots. The easy ones are when you just walk into them. At the Notting Hill Carnival I shot more film in a day than I normally would in weeks. But, having said that, it's still best to try and be selective. One of the things about being a photographer is that it's very tempting to press the shutter.

FR - What would you say you're average strike rate per roll is?

PA - It's very hard to say, and that's a lot to do with the answer I just gave. If I get two or three really good ones then I am happy.

FR - Which film do you use?

PA - Ilford. Although with a medium-format camera I might experiment a bit more. I have a camera with different backs.

FR - Lenses?

PA - My favourite is 50mm, but a 35mm can come in very handy in certain situations. Again, with medium-format, I will have a little more choice.

FR - Cartier-Bresson said that he had a favourite position, which I believe to be about three to four metres away with the camera set at 1/125th.

PA - I mostly shoot in that speed. The distance, I'm not so sure.

FR - What is your opinion of Cartier-Bresson?

PA - I think he did a lot for photography. He made a lot of people go out and buy a Leica. Personally, I like his work very much. He's a big reason why I started taking photo's in the first place, although he did have a big advantage. He came from money, and could afford to travel a lot. He used to go off for years at a time, I believe. Good luck to him. I'm not saying that money made him a great photographer, but it must have helped. Coming from the family that he came from I am sure that he must have had connections, too, and that also must have helped. Again, not his fault. He worked very hard.

FR - What makes a good photo?

PA - Composition, movement, shape, light, or contrast, characters, luck, anticipation, joy, sadness, humour. Generally I think you need some of these ingredients. We are talking street photography, right?

FR - Of course. Do you ever crop?

PA - I can only think of one of my photo's that is cropped, in the shape of an L missing missing from one side and the bottom. I am not against it, but when it's right it's right.

FR - Do you always know when you've got a good shot?

PA - Yes, although you never really know for sure until you see the contacts.

FR - Why do you think you take photo's?

PA - Well, some of the reasons I have already mentioned - the influences, the books, the auction catalogues. I also think the curiosity, the looking. I think there are two types of photographers - ones that are commercial, and ones who take photo's of things that interest them.

FR - You said earlier that you would like to direct films. Have you ever set up any of your shots?

PA - It's funny you should ask that. Some of my early negatives were ruined because I put them in the wrong places to be developed - Jessops, Happy snaps - I didn't know what I was doing. And some of those images I really liked and am think of re-creating them. In fact, I already have with one or two. Just the easy ones, though, as some would be virtually impossible. For me, that's not really cheating, because I 've already taken that image.

FR - What are your future plans?

PA - A little more travelling. I think I'm going to go to India in January. Next year I will to start to work on getting a book published of my London photo's, medium format and 35mm. I might try to join an agency, too. Magnum would be nice.

FR - It's been a pleasure.

PA - For me, too. Thank you.