The grand dame of British literature, Beryl Bainbridge, has passed away.
One more I read the news and I’m jolted, a moment of sadness, a talent has passed, but also in my photographer mind I immediately think to the time I photographed that person. “I’ve photographed him/her” – a common line when watching the news in this house (second only to “I’ve been there”). And to the cynics that think about it as an upsurge in stock sales, then no, you are wrong. Truth be told there is little upsurge in such instances, someone such as Beryl Bainbridge has been photographed enough, there isn’t a rarity of image. But what does pass through my mind is “I photographed her”, it’s a moment. It’s important to document the times we live in, and we can do this in many ways. One part of that is to photograph the cultural icons of our times, and yes some of those icons have been photographed often, but it is important to have “ones” own photograph of them, however fleeting the encounter.
See here my photographs of Beryl Bainbridge, dame of British literature.
06/07/2010 at 8:17 am
It is important as you say, to know who these people are, to honour them with that knowledge (like the ballerina above. I ‘d never heard of her either). You are lucky in having met so many wonderful people and photographed them because the shock and sadness at each notification of a death is troubling too for the reason it happens more as we get older. Names we grew up with, we have to learn to live without and most people only have memories, and faint ones at that, of the significance of that person in their lives. We almost never get to meet those that inspire us, or cheer us up, or entertain us, or educate us with their talents and you have worked hard to put yourself in the position to make your memory of them and conversely our their memory in us more solid. Thanks.
Damon
06/07/2010 at 8:28 am
Many thanks indeed Damon. I do feel lucky to get a chance to meet all the people I photograph, no matter how short the amount of time, and even how famous or not they are. And even sometime sif it is a photocall type situation, not a one-on-one, even still it’s better than nthing and yu egta few seconds of being close being able to see how they move, respond, talk etc. All helps to make an impression of them and as you say a memory of them….cheers,
jsh