Sometimes there are nice surprises in the emails received, this is one of them!
My name is Andrew Sanderson, and I have been a photographer for over forty years. I love using all kinds of cameras, from half frame, 35mm, medium format, 5×4, 5×7 and 10×8. I also use a range of different films, such as X-Ray, Lith, Ortho, as well as conventional film. I shoot paper negative in large format cameras and love all kinds of analogue printing processes. I have written three books, been published over 100 times in the top magazines in the UK and I am an Ilford Master Printer.
My subject matter is wide and varied, so I have tried to narrow it down for this selection. I have chosen quirky, observational images, though I have all sorts of other subject matter and styles. The equipment I use varies constantly, because I usually have a range of cameras loaded at any one time and just pick up the one I’m inspired to use at that moment. Some images can be shot quickly on 35mm, but others might call for specialist optical effects that require a much larger format. I have a range of lenses that give me a particular look, some are vintage, some are classic, sharp lenses and some are home made. Everything is shot on film and printed by me in the darkroom, I really dislike digital and only use it to remember locations for a later visit.
I am constantly looking for images and thinking about ways of representing everyday objects in a new way. I don’t need to travel the world to take pictures, I find inspiration at home, or wherever I go. I don’t work on a series, I shoot whatever I want, whenever I want and then sometimes at a later date I can see some connection between some of them. I feel it is important for each image to work in isolation. The finished print has to have technical ability and display some of the following; power, strength of design/composition, emotion, and a degree of longevity. On this last point; I don’t usually show work that I haven’t lived with for a long time, this helps me to see if the image really works. Occasionally I will post something I have just done, but not if there is any uncertainty in my mind about whether I have succeeded in my aims. I set myself high standards and would be embarrassed and annoyed if I showed anything that I had been lazy with. There are no shortcuts in film and darkroom work, you have to put the effort in and craft the final image.
Andrew Sanderson
Blog; www.thewebdarkroom.co.uk
Pinterest; http://www.pinterest.com/andrew2499/
Facebook; www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Sanderson-Photography/243287612520814
Instagram; http://instagram.com/andrewsandersonphotography
