I have been shooting in black and white again for a while. This takes me back to the beginning when I was developing and printing in a home darkroom. My Dad taught me when I was quite young. Being close to and spending time with images projected by an enlarger is an experience I won’t forget but a lesson than has been forgotten.
Colour photography was, for me, a symptom of going digital, and a requirement of the professional work I was doing in the early 2000’s.
The square format goes further back. My Dad was a keen photographer, and used a twin lens reflex in his early days. My Grandfather and Great Aunt were photographers. They also used square format cameras for the majority of their work. I went through a phase of using a square format camera twenty years ago.
There has been a renewed interest in the work and life of my Great Aunt which has led to new exhibitions and a renewed personal interest for me. I think the square images are partly an attempt to connect myself to my past. It’s a format I feel comfortable with yet also feel restrained by – as if I’m trapped by tradition and heritage.
BenKing 