Research 2 Photographer Peter Gennard MFIAP, EFIAP/p

Peter came to the Burton Photographic Society on 1st October to share his experience, his photographs and tips.   He is a humerous man and also came across as respectful when photographing people, sharing with us how he approaches people.   I loved looking at his photographs as they were vivid, some unusual and they inspired me to go where he had been to take some of then.  He showed pictures he had taken at the Iron Man Competition, the Appleby Horse Fair where Romany gypsies go each year - he knew peole by name that he has photographed and he had obviously built up a rapport with them during his yearly visits; the Bull Ring in Birmingham as I had never seen it before.    One of his tips was regarding backgrounds and changing them in Photoshop.   I came away inspired by his photographs but also with my eyes wider open regarding the positioning of subjects that I photograph, how to approach them and   the use of backgrounds.  I have shown some of his pictures below which I have copied from the Smethwick Photographic Society website (http://www.smethwickphotographic.co.uk/petergennard/index.phpon )which his pictures are shown.

The picture below Abandoned House In Ireland is just something I would never think of taking a picture of until seeing this result.  It's something I would hang on my wall.   It totally shows the deterioration of the house, from the paint peeling walls to the crumpled dirty carpet behind the door.   It is a documentary picture and I do not know if the picture has been digitally manipulated in any way.  I think Peter has stood slightly to the left of the cupboard and there is a window allowing light in although you can't see the window.   This photograph in particular inspired me to take my camera to my on site laundrette where I lived.  It is a pale pink room, paint peeling, steamed up windows with 6 machines and 1 Belfast sink.   I would never have thought of taking my camera in here so this photograph in particular has opened my eyes to different things to photograph.




The portraiture photograph of the Station Master below looks like it has been taken with a fish eye lens but I have no idea if it has.   It has a slightly distorted look to it.   The nose on the Station Master is very dominant and red (bulbous?) and the brick background inspired me to use such backgrounds on some of my pictures.   The depth of field is wide as the window at the end of the wall is infocus and the colours are black/white and stone.  The lines and wrinkes on on the face of the Station Master and the small dimple to the left of his mouth are proudly on show. 



 With the picture above, Into the Deep, I look at it and can feel the atmosphere, the pain the contestants must be in, the muddy water, the battle to keep on going.   The light looks like it is starting to go down or getting a bit cloudy or there has just been a rainfall.  It is a documentary picture and one which I would like to have a go at myself so I think a trip to the Iron Man competition is to be put the on the list. 

The Brummie Domes photograph has reflections of clouds on some of the discs.  The sheer size of the discs to the right of the frame dominate and it leaves me wondering just how many discs are there on the Bull Ring.  The camera is angled upwards and the light is good.  

To my knowledge, Peter Gennard has not published any of his work in books - I believe they are all shown on the club circuit both national and internationally.