An evening of very different photography on 11 May.  Matt Macpake (www.mattmacpake.co.uk) is a multi-award winning photographer and tutor at the University of Hertfordshire.  Matt’s photography included one of his early projects “To and from the North Circular”.  With a mission to “make the banal beautiful” he walked along the A406 for many days photographing the people, buildings and other things that caught his eye.  It is amazing what can be found when you take the time to look rather than drive past in a car.

In more recent years Matt has gone back to working with film and uses one of the largest (hand held) cameras around, a Mamiya RB67.  Shooting mainly black and white film images he said that this type of photography slows him down (compared to shooting using a digital camera) so he gives more time to each individual image.

Tea-time chat. Matt Macpake at right.

Matt discussing the often “basic” kit that he uses.

The bulk of Matt’s work is project based.  That could be his family, the North Circular, The Westway (a section of the A40 in west London) that, once again, featured his eye for the people seen around the road as well as structures, how early morning light plays on some otherwise routine pieces of infrastructure etc.  Not all his images are black and white and he enjoys experimenting with colour and composition.  Matt was the first to admit that these experiments do not always work, but that unless you try, you may never find a new style.  As he said “just thinking about things does not make them happen”.

As a result, Matt gave us many suggestions for how to plan a project (many of his may take months in the preparation) and even when a location is chosen, several photos can be taken just travelling to and from it.

Thanking Matt, the Society’s Secretary, Sam Segar, said “that was absolutely fascinating and it was a long time since we had seen anyone who still does the majority of their photography on film and it was very nostalgic  and a presentation very different to ones we often see.  It is rare to see someone with the “focus” and drive to complete project after project and it is fascinating to see”.

An enjoyable evening of pictures that were very different to stereotypical “Camera Club images”.