Vigars Well, Mungo NP

Out West is a set of nine pinhole images taken in August 2014 on a trip to outback NSW.

Far-western NSW may not register much these days on capital city consciousness but it’s an area central to the nation’s past prosperity. Wool exported to the “mother country” from large sheep stations serviced by steamers plying the Darling predates today’s mining boom. It’s a land of harsh extremes with remote outposts serviced by Cobb & Co coaches, the tracks of which still survive today in parts. There’s also a long history of aboriginal settlement in areas such as Mungo and Mutawintji. All this overlaid on the enduring landscape itself.

Out West is an attempt to capture in vignettes some of this history and landscape. In this I have continued my exploration of the pinhole medium, still learning how this camera “sees” and its applicability to this subject matter. I feel it’s only appropriate that this timeless region be rendered by means, and with treatment, suited to its antiquity.

The exhibition will be opened by Gordon Undy at 6pm on Thursday 26th February at the Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre and runs to 22nd March.

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Knox Gorge, Karijini NP

Fifteen years ago I made it to within 1,000km of Karijini National Park in Western Australia’s Pilbara region but the extra distance was just too much at the time. In July 2013 the opportunity arose for a small group trip of two weeks duration to the region, camping in the park/nearby and sharing 4WD hire costs. The intention was seeing the sights and photography, the park’s famed gorges being the main attraction. The park is well represented in overly colourful picture books etc. I decided instead to shoot with a 6×12 pinhole camera in B&W.

A pinhole camera is very easy to use, the only decisions being where to point the camera (a wooden box with a tiny hole as fixed aperture) and the exposure time. This simplified approach, while somewhat haphazard, does however allow one to concentrate more on the subject and lighting: the quintessence of a photograph. The resultant images have infinite depth of field but an overall softness and distortions at the periphery which are intrinsic to the pinhole medium and only add to their charm, I feel. These are surprisingly minor shortcomings given the primitiveness of the means.

An exhibition of twelve images from this work is on display at the Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre in Canberra until 2nd February 2014. Click here for the catalogue.

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