Neil Graham-Cameron & Sioned Eleri BA (Hons)
Interview
Profile
Biography
Gallery
Copyright of images belongs to the Artist.
Copyright of interview belongs to Ovenden
Contemporary (Art Promotions) Limited. Any
un-authorised use is strictly prohibited. All
rights are reserved.
(c) 2008 Ovenden Contemporary (Art Promotions)
Limited
I meet with Sioned Eleri and Neil Graham-Cameron
outside St. Michael's Church on Trinity Street in
Cambridge, as arranged. Trinity Street begins at
one end as Trumpington Street with the world
renowned, rather impressive, Fitzwilliam Museum,
designed by George Basevi and opened in the late
Nineteenth Century. The road then turns into
King's Parade as it passes the equally well-known
and iconic Kings College Chapel and the wonderful
but frequently overlooked, neo-Gothic Gatehouse.
King's Parade becomes Trinity Street and then
again changes to St. John's Street before
colliding with the end of Sidney Street. There
are several commercial galleries in and around
this area and even the Church we meet outside has
an exhibition programme, of sorts. It's a nice
place to stroll if you are even remotely creative
or architecturally inclined.
Neil and Sion are here with their cameras, as is often the case, in the hope that they will discover tiny fragments of this beautiful city they haven't seen before. They are dressed sensibly in what I assume are their 'working' clothes and it makes them look a little like tourists, especially with cameras swinging from their necks. The streets are filled with them this morning- tourists, that is...and photographers probably! This is one of the most photographed and photogenic cities in the country. Frankly, it warrants the attention. We walk along the middle of the cobbled street in the direction of the River Cam.
Craig: You both use slightly different techniques and equipment to produce your images. Why is that?
Neil: I've always used film, but I did react to the introduction of digital cameras.
Sion: You were given one as a Christmas present weren't you?
Neil: Yes, and it was fun to see instant results- but I could never take it seriously.
Craig: That's interesting. What do you mean?
Neil: When Sion and I got together we talked about the pluses and minuses and I decided that I much preferred my thinking time to be spent on selecting, composing and making important picture judgements rather than on, what seemed to me, to be an endless range of cameras setting. For you it was the other way around wasn't it Sion?
Sion: Yes, I suppose it was.
Craig: What happened?
Sion: My twenty-five year old interest in photography was reawakened by the digital revolution, and after getting good results with a Nikon D50, I decided to buy another, better, camera body. After a couple of years I had a large selection of images, many of which I was happy with, but it seemed that the technology was beginning to drive my picture taking, rather than spending time thinking about the image.
We stop outside one of the better known commercial galleries and we all peer in, quite tentatively. It's not a very passionate place but so few commercials are these days. It's all very nice..nice and safe. We continue on, avoiding a speeding cyclist as we go.
Sion: I decided to give film a go again and bought a 20 year old Olympus OM1n.
Craig: That's made a difference has it?
Sion: Absolutely. The simplicity of a manual camera has changed the way I take pictures. Instead of filling up a memory card with hundreds of snaps I'm now considering each image properly before I take it.
Craig: So have you moved back to film permanently now?
Sion: Yes, I think so. The digital cameras and lenses will soon be up for sale. Thanks to eBay, I've got three Olympus bodies and half a dozen lenses now, and I can't see me going back to digital unless they actually stop producing film! I'm also having great fun trying out various film types.
Craig: The final image that you both produce is very similar. Is that deliberate?
Sion: Some of our pictures are quite similar, though it's not deliberate, I don't think... Part of it is because we're almost invariably out shooting together, but I think there is more to it than that, as we often 'see' the same image.
Neil: Yes, that's it. As we frequently work side by side, Sion or I will spot a picture and will take it. Having selected a possible image, one or other will also recognise the potential and with a slightly different view point, lens and personal camera setting, repeat that shot.
Sion: We've talked about this before, haven't we?
Neil: Yes. Whilst similarities exist, I think we often produce very different images. Personally, I find this rather fun, seeing what has been left out and/or included. It is worth mentioning that we do have very similar mindsets in many things creative. I should also say that we often take the mickey and whilst watching one of us will come out with a discretely critical remark like 'crap shot that'.
Sion: This is nearly always ignored by the recipient, of course!
Craig: Glad to hear it!
We reach the end of St. John's Street which joins Sidney Street at the junction with Bridge Street. We head left down Bridge Street and are virtually mobbed by a rapid succession of 'punt reps' trying to sell us boat trips- I blame Neil & Sion as they look like they might be tourists! The first three get polite rebuffs but the remainder get a swift shake of the head.
Neil and Sion are here with their cameras, as is often the case, in the hope that they will discover tiny fragments of this beautiful city they haven't seen before. They are dressed sensibly in what I assume are their 'working' clothes and it makes them look a little like tourists, especially with cameras swinging from their necks. The streets are filled with them this morning- tourists, that is...and photographers probably! This is one of the most photographed and photogenic cities in the country. Frankly, it warrants the attention. We walk along the middle of the cobbled street in the direction of the River Cam.
Craig: You both use slightly different techniques and equipment to produce your images. Why is that?
Neil: I've always used film, but I did react to the introduction of digital cameras.
Sion: You were given one as a Christmas present weren't you?
Neil: Yes, and it was fun to see instant results- but I could never take it seriously.
Craig: That's interesting. What do you mean?
Neil: When Sion and I got together we talked about the pluses and minuses and I decided that I much preferred my thinking time to be spent on selecting, composing and making important picture judgements rather than on, what seemed to me, to be an endless range of cameras setting. For you it was the other way around wasn't it Sion?
Sion: Yes, I suppose it was.
Craig: What happened?
Sion: My twenty-five year old interest in photography was reawakened by the digital revolution, and after getting good results with a Nikon D50, I decided to buy another, better, camera body. After a couple of years I had a large selection of images, many of which I was happy with, but it seemed that the technology was beginning to drive my picture taking, rather than spending time thinking about the image.
We stop outside one of the better known commercial galleries and we all peer in, quite tentatively. It's not a very passionate place but so few commercials are these days. It's all very nice..nice and safe. We continue on, avoiding a speeding cyclist as we go.
Sion: I decided to give film a go again and bought a 20 year old Olympus OM1n.
Craig: That's made a difference has it?
Sion: Absolutely. The simplicity of a manual camera has changed the way I take pictures. Instead of filling up a memory card with hundreds of snaps I'm now considering each image properly before I take it.
Craig: So have you moved back to film permanently now?
Sion: Yes, I think so. The digital cameras and lenses will soon be up for sale. Thanks to eBay, I've got three Olympus bodies and half a dozen lenses now, and I can't see me going back to digital unless they actually stop producing film! I'm also having great fun trying out various film types.
Craig: The final image that you both produce is very similar. Is that deliberate?
Sion: Some of our pictures are quite similar, though it's not deliberate, I don't think... Part of it is because we're almost invariably out shooting together, but I think there is more to it than that, as we often 'see' the same image.
Neil: Yes, that's it. As we frequently work side by side, Sion or I will spot a picture and will take it. Having selected a possible image, one or other will also recognise the potential and with a slightly different view point, lens and personal camera setting, repeat that shot.
Sion: We've talked about this before, haven't we?
Neil: Yes. Whilst similarities exist, I think we often produce very different images. Personally, I find this rather fun, seeing what has been left out and/or included. It is worth mentioning that we do have very similar mindsets in many things creative. I should also say that we often take the mickey and whilst watching one of us will come out with a discretely critical remark like 'crap shot that'.
Sion: This is nearly always ignored by the recipient, of course!
Craig: Glad to hear it!
We reach the end of St. John's Street which joins Sidney Street at the junction with Bridge Street. We head left down Bridge Street and are virtually mobbed by a rapid succession of 'punt reps' trying to sell us boat trips- I blame Neil & Sion as they look like they might be tourists! The first three get polite rebuffs but the remainder get a swift shake of the head.
Craig Kerrecoe meets Neil Graham-Cameron
& Sioned Eleri...
