Adrian Bicker Photography

My first and least portable large format camera

I think I first became aware that pieces of glass can change the way the world looks when, at the age of eight, I started to wear spectacles.

After all the intervening years, I still marvel that light can pass through an apparently solid object. And it does so with such precision that an exact image of the world is reassembled in space on the other side of the lens. This remains invisible unless the focused light is intercepted by a white surface, a photographic film or an electronic sensor.

Over the years, I have developed a deep interest in natural history and in the countryside around me. In the process, I have learned to notice things, to see things that most people miss. Photography is my way to capture and record images of the natural world around me.

My hope is that by developing the artistry of my photography, I can create compelling images that make these subjects accessible and interesting to a wider audience.

After many years of incidental photography, two events transformed my interest into a passion. The first was the purchase of a sturdy tripod and head. The second was meeting Colin Varndell on a weekend photography workshop organised by Light and Land.

The significance of a tripod may be lost on those starting photography today. With slow transparency film, a tripod was the only way to capture images in low light. A solid tripod can also take the weight of a long lens and reduce the inevitable peril of camera shake. I still use my trusty tripod for most shots today, as the ability to lock the camera in position helps me to slow down and think about what I am trying to do. I do find that my best shots are usually my tripod shots.

Most of what I have learned about the art of nature photography, I have learned from Colin Varndell. I consider Colin to be one of the unsung heroes of UK nature and landscape photography and I know that he is an inspiration to many. I have enjoyed accompanying Colin on various Dorset expeditions and am pleased to count myself as an occasional member of 'Colin's Gang'.

Over the last twenty five years, I have used Nikon 35mm SLRs and DSLRs, Mamiya 645 and 6x7 cameras as well as large format, always with the aim of improving the quality of my images. From early 2008 I finally seem to have found my 'spiritual home' with the Olympus E-System. The optical quality of Olympus lenses such as the 12-60mm f/2.8-4, 50mm f/2 and the awesome 300mm f/2.8 exceed anything that I have experienced before. The 4/3 sensor gives a 2x crop factor that is ideal for long lens work and helps to achieve the depth of field necessary for most macro photography. And the wide range of each zoom lens means that I carry fewer lenses.

The cupboard that used to be full of Nikkor lenses is now empty, the Mamiyas have gone too, but I still reach for the large format field camera for top quality landscapes and shots that need camera movements. For me, this is the simplest, purest form of photography and deeply satisfying too. It is the perfect antidote to today's high-speed digital world. And nothing can really match the thrill of seeing a 4x5" transparency on the light box.

© Adrian Bicker 2008
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