Photography and comedy farce

 See Pete's videos here: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

'Great Little Tin Sheds of Wales' - new 56 page catalogue
published by the Offline Journal. Available from
Pete's online store: https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/

One of the great classic sketches of the 'Monty Python' series is the 'Ministry of Silly Walks'. John Cleese et al, loon around in a variety of ludicrous perambulations looking quite ridiculous. I'm reminded of this sketch every time I see amateur camera club prints displayed with a ridiculous 'title'. It's why British camera clubs are sometimes call the 'Ministry of Silly Titles'. Apparently it's virtually compulsory in British camera club circles to append a silly title because they think the viewers of the photographs are too dim to understand or decode the semiotics within the image. 

'Ceredigion 1982' One of the prints from the 'Great Little 

Tin Sheds of Wales' series purchased by the National Library 

of Wales to add to its collection my work they hold.

There have been so many examples that I have seen it can't just be a random thing. Photographs of mist in the morning titled 'morning mist'. Tombstones in church graveyards titled 'solitude', 'at rest' or 'peace'. One of my recent favourites was a picture of a guy going down an escalator titled  - wait for it - 'going down'. I have often wondered if they get extra points for these in their toe curling, embarrassing club competitions for prize candlesticks or plates. 

What it shows of course is that the knowledge and understanding of British camera club members are so far removed from contemporary mainstream photography and that they have probably never set foot in a photography gallery to even begin to grasp the protocols of captioning work or not insulting the intelligence of the viewers with facile and infantile titles. There's also a sad cult among camera club members of putting the make of camera and lens alongside their silly title. Is this some kind of show-off? Never mind the image, look at the camera I used! 

'Pembrokeshire, 1983'. One of the prints recently 
purchased by the National Library of Wales to add
to its collection of my work that they hold.

It's possible of course, for apposite titles of books, exhibitions or major bodies of work to be considered as a way of encapsulating the whole work in a way that summarises it, or draws attention to it. The titles or captions for individual images however, need to be simple and just factual in a minimalist way. Each viewer will then understand and can interpret the image according to their own social, cultural, educational or photographic background. To impose a particular viewpoint on any individual is insulting and patronising. It's this lack of sophistication and understanding of visual language found in British camera clubs that is most concerning. Even worse is the open hostility from them to embracing or even accepting, anything that appears to threaten their blinkered and outdated attitudes and ideas. Sadly, I have seen open hostility and sneering towards guest speakers at British camera clubs who have been sharing great images and contemporary knowledge and photographic culture. What a sad state of affairs, but at least we can be entertained by their silly titles!

I

Photography Competition Time! Not!

 Some of Pete's books and exhibition catalogues available here: https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/

See videos of Pete here: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

No, no, I'm not launching or entering any competition, not likely, given the appalling nature of British photo competitions, it's just another rant against the dreadful culture that's endemic in the British camera club scene.

Another list of possible prizes to win has landed on my studio desk from one such organisation and it's long list of ludicrous and totally irrelevant 'categories' to enter along with their equally ludicrous 'trophies'. It's clear from the categories that none of the organisers has ever set foot in a contemporary photography gallery, studied photography in any way or has any knowledge of recent trends in photography. When I say 'recent', in British camera club terms this means since the 1950's. 'Recent' to contemporary photographers means the last five years of course. Members of camera clubs have different notions of time and history! They are on a very different time zone. 

'Iris No. 8', 2018 Platinum / Palladium print

The categories include such things as winning the 'Nigel Snodgrass Candlestick' for the best 'large monochrome (not black and white of course) pictorial print with impact' and the 'Cecil Peabody Ashtray' for the best small colour non-pictorial print without impact. Imagine the prospect? Be still my beating heart! What's really sad is the deliberate 'dumbing down' that happens when you put photography into nonsensical categories like this. It's done on purpose of course to disguise the organisers own total lack of knowledge of contemporary ideas and trends and to drag down everyone else to their own level. Disgraceful. 

These attitudes and behaviour patterns relating to these silly competitions also impacts on how British camera club members relate to photographers who have devoted their lives to photography and produce exciting new work. I have witnessed this too many times and as well as being rude and ignorant, I find it very sad. I attended a talk last year by a prominent photographer who had produced much significant work and he poured out his heart, showed some great work and should have been well received. Sadly, the audience was infested with British camera club members who were less than respectful. A few near me in the audience just stared at the floor for the whole illustrated talk, shuffled their feet and mumbled and grumbled all the way through. 

'Windfalls No. 1' 2018, Platinum / Palladium print

Questions at the end and any intelligent debate that might have ensued was killed stone dead by the first club member's question. His hand shot up and he asked, 'do you have a favourite lens?' After the high level of work he had shown, plus the obvious lifelong dedication of the photographer giving the talk, this was a real patronising slap in the face and actually insulting. Clearly these individuals have no notion of contemporary photography, ideas or protocols and are being pandered to by weak and ineffectual camera club organisers and officers who know no better themselves. 

Their patronising attitude to those of us who have made photography our life's work is akin to the old days of cricket where there were 'gentlemen' and 'players'. The 'gentlemen' were second rate amateur players who could afford to indulge their hobby and buy their way into winning worthless trophies. The 'players' who were looked down on and patronised by the 'gentlemen' were the real professional talent that gave the game its reputation and advanced the skills. I daresay they were sneered at by the 'gentlemen' in the same we that we photographers who have dedicated our lives to advancing and teaching photography are sneered at by British camera club members. (Attitudes are very different outside the U.K.)

'Cwm Rheidol', 2019. Platinum /Palladium print

If I'm asked what I do and I say photographer, most people accept this at face value. If I'm asked by a British camera club member they will inevitably ask 'amateur or professional'? My reply is usually to ask them if they would ask that if my response had been 'brain surgeon'? I know, brain surgery is a matter of life and death. However, photography is more important than that. Well, it is to a photographer but obviously not to a member of a British camera club. 

A short 'walk-around' my exhibition

See more of Pete's work here:

https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

Some of Pete's exhibition catalogues and books available here https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com

Just a short walk-around a part of the 'City Stories' exhibition at Aberystwyth University School of Art gallery running until January. The work was made between 1969 and 1977. 

One half of the exhibition deals with images taken mainly in Splott, Cardiff at the time that the area was being 'redeveloped' and the long-standing working class community broken up. 

The other part of the show are photographs taken around Cardiff City centre at a time just before it began its own redevelopment and transition from its post war look and feel.

New Online Shop Open

See videos of pete discussing his work and working here: https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

 Photo books and exhibition catalogues are a great and inexpensive way for folks to have a great collection of images. This is why contemporary documentary photographers are keen to distribute their work in this way. Exhibitions are great of course, especially when they tour, seeing original prints at first hand is a unique experience. 

However, the audience for those is by definition going to be limited and as documentary photographers want their work to be seen by as wide an audience as possible, the book or catalogue is a great way to distribute the work.

To make this easier for anyone wishing to acquire one of my publications I have set up an online shop here: https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/

Shipping is to within the UK only at present.

The selection available will change from time to time. Many of the publications are limited editions and there are very few left of some so once they are gone, they are gone. The various descriptions of what's available at the moment are featured below.

56 page, signed, 210 x 210 mm catalogue published to accompany the new touring exhibition of this work first seen nearly 40 years ago. The original slim catalogue sold out almost immediately and has become a collector's item. This new publication contains a facsimile reproduction of the original catalogue plus all the images that were in the original exhibition plus some images never printed before. There are also essays by Geoff Young, owner of Ffotogaleri - y - Gofeb, Pete Davis and Susan Daniel-McElroy who, as director of Ffotogallery Cardiff in 1984, produced the original exhibition and catalogue.
https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/product/great-little-tin-sheds-of-wales-redux-catalogue

Set of ten 'Great Little Tin Sheds of Wales' postcards.
https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/product/great-little-tin-sheds-of-wales-set-of-10-postcards 

48 page, signed, limited edition soft back book. 240 x 300 mm. Published by Aberystwyth University School of Art. The photographs are printed in beautiful duotone with contextualising essays by Prof. Alistair Crawford and Pete Davis. Only a very few left.
https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/product/cader-idris-book

New Exhibition, New Publication, 'Great Little Tin Sheds of Wales'.

See more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

 Some of Pete's exhibition catalogues and books available here:

https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com

With a new exhibition opening soon, the new catalogue, designed by Brian Carroll of the 'Offline Journal' is back from the printers. Looks good and contains a facsimile reproduction of the original slim catalogue published by Ffotogallery Cardiff in 1984 for the original exhibition. The new catalogue also contains the whole image set and new contextualising essays. 

The front cover above, a quick flip-through video below. 

A few double page spreads below. 

The new 'catalog' has essays by Pete, Geoff Young of Ffotogaleri y Gofeb and Susan Daniel-McElroy who was director of the Ffotogallery, Cardiff in 1984 and who originated the original touring exhibition and also wrote a piece for the original little catalogue. 

The new exhibition opens on October 6th. at Ffotogaleri y Gofeb, Machynlleth, Powys and is showing until December 22nd. 

'We Are Happy Just As We Are'

Videos of pete discussing his work can be seen here: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

 Some of Pete's exhibition catalogues and books available here: https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com

 I attended a great talk a couple of weeks ago by a photographer who had made some compelling work in many of the world's deprived communities. His photographs were powerful and sympathetic and he had obviously taken great pains to make himself a part of these communities and truly understood their social conditions. Compelling stuff.

Budapest, Hungary, 2022

Sadly, many of the audience were members of British camera clubs and were distinctly unimpressed. One guy sitting in front of me muttered and mumbled all the way through the illustrated talk and just stared at the floor shuffling his feet. Pig ignorant. However, as another member of this club had stated previously, "we are happy just as we are". Clearly, this includes being utterly disrespectful towards truly talented photographers.

At the end of his talk, questions were invited and a hand shot up from the audience. I winced, anticipating what was coming, having been through it many times myself in the days when I agreed to talk to camera club type audiences. I have learned my lesson and refuse such invitations now. Given the range of deprived societies, countries and environments this photographer had documented over many years, the questions could have been an exciting journey to understanding his work and motivations. Sadly, my worst fears were realised. First question from the audience? "What is your favourite lens?" My heart sank even though I was expecting it and I saw the speaker visibly deflate. He had poured his heart and soul out for an hour and this must have been a slap in the face and an insult to his work. Never mind, it's just as they said "we are happy just as we are". 

Vidin, Bulgaria, 2022

The main reason for the grumpy guy who muttered disrespectfully all through the talk being there at all, transpired later. He was only around to be a part of the 'parade of the pot hunters' collecting an assortment of vases, plates and tankards for totally irrelevant and spurious 'categories' of prints. Also of course, to have his photograph taken with a 'celebrity' thespian knight of the realm. Not the least bit interested in great photography but no matter, as they said, "we are happy just as we are". 

Kalosca, Hungary, 2022

Missing from the camera club crowd were, of course, women and young people. 50% of the students I teach at present are female, some years it's more. Also, some of the most vibrant and relevant photography around at present comes from young people. They are in tune with current social issues that dominate their lives and produce exciting work documenting this. No sign of this demographic in the audience, however to be fair, I did spot one woman. A fairly typical British camera club crowd then, totally unrepresentative of contemporary photography's demographic. More akin to a Freemason's lodge meeting. Not to worry though "we are happy just as we are". 

If it wasn't so sad it would be funny. I can only hope that the featured photographer / speaker wasn't too put off. I have seen that sort of disrespectful behaviour in camera clubs sadly way too many times now. They are peculiar to UK camera clubs, I don't experience those attitudes from other organisations in other countries. But as they say "we are happy just as we are". Outrageous. 

The deliberate 'dumbing down' of photographic knowledge, theory and practice by British camera clubs is a national disgrace and has been for generations. Their bleating excuse is always 'but we are just amateurs'. This is no excuse. The real reason is that those who organise them and particularly those who set themselves up as 'judges' have little or no knowledge themselves. They are then afraid for others to know too much and so the 'dumbing down' continues. Shameful. However, it's ok of course because, "they are happy just as they are". 

Photography is not a sport

 It seems that I have rattled the cages of the British camera club fraternity yet again. You dare not make any criticism of their mostly ludicrous activities without incurring their wrath. It's a sure sign of their insecurity when they attack those for whom photography and photographic education is a serious way of life and living.

Working on location in north Wales, April 2023

Turning it into a sport with sad 'trophy hunting' as the only measure of achievement or success, is an insult to all who take it seriously and strive to make good, relevant work and put it into the public domain. Even worse, is that their attitudes and ideas serve to exclude a substantial section of the contemporary photographic demographic - young people and women. Just look around the typical British (not European or American where I have experience) camera club to see evidence of this, they are composed mostly of grumpy old men drooling over cameras, not good photography. 

Their 'sporting' competitions for pointless trophies are 'refereed' by individuals whose collective knowledge of contemporary photography can be written on the point of a pin. This does nothing to further the quality or relevance of what they produce, it's 'photography by numbers' and just ticking boxes to satisfy ignorant 'judges'.

Crafnant, Conwy, 53° 7’ 29” N. - 3° 53’ 3” W. Looking west. From the series - 'The Ends of the Roads'

In the real world of photography it's heartening to see how young photographers (with a good gender balance) are producing exciting relevant work and finding innovative ways to put this out into the world. They should be nurtured and encouraged, not put off by outdated ideas and practices by those who refuse to accept that what they espouse. You have to wonder what they are afraid of when they make comments such as - "we are happy just as we are". That they are content to dumb down the theory and practice of photography and by so doing exclude a substantial section of the contemporary photography demographic is nothing but shameful. 

 

Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, 52° 18’ 0” N. - 4° 9’ 54” W. Looking south west. From the series - 'The Ends of the Roads'

It's difficult to know how to break these entrenched ideas. Clearly those who run British clubs are afraid of change as it exposes their own lack of knowledge and understanding. They don't want to feel intimidated by another generation making far better work than themselves and engaging with fresh and exciting ideas and Photographic concepts. 

Cwm Penmachno, Gwynedd,   53° 0’ 32” N. - 3° 51’ 46” W. Looking east. From the series - 'The Ends of the Roads'

There are, however, many positive things happening in the real world of photography. New galleries and photography festivals abound. New ways of publishing work make getting exciting  projects out much easier and ultimately more accessible to a wider audience. The young photographers are embracing all this, despite the best efforts of camera clubs to stifle it. 

Meanwhile, the camera clubs bumble along in their outdated ways, giving out trophies for nonsensical 'categories' of photograph, pandering to so-called 'judges' who no nothing and are deliberately dumbing down knowledge.