Keeping motivated to shoot images for Dunedin Light is never difficult, but this week we were a little more inspired than usual after a chance encounter with photographer and artist Gary Blackman.
Blackman is 83 and has been photographing life in and around Dunedin for more than 60 years and he has an exhibition running at the Brett McDowell Gallery at 5 Dowling Street until this Thursday (May 9, 2013). Entitled "Late Entry" it's an interesting collection of images captured since 2004 and all from digital cameras. That's where Blackman's photographic journey is so intriguing – some of his early images were made on Rollei twin lens cameras where the photographer did everything. These days the cameras do just about everything, but still his images in "Late Entry" prove that the eye of the photographer is where the real magic lies regardless of technology.
One of our favourite images is his famous Six o'clock closing image that he shot in 1952 outside the Robert Burns Hotel.
He also made a shot that features in his book Survey of a young girl bouncing a basketball along a driveway.
"I saw her doing it once so I got ready with a small camera and as she approached I spun around and shot one frame. I yelled, 'I hope you don't mind' as she went by. She didn't mind," he laughed.
Blackman's documentary approach to photography is brilliantly raw. Even in his Late Entry images they are sincere to life in New Zealand through his career. Inspiring – check it our while you can.
See you at the beach ...
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