Last year (2011) I had a lucky break when visiting, Dimbola Lodge, in the Isle of Wight. It was once the home of Victorian portrait photographer Julia Cameron but now is a museum/gallery. At first I thought I was unlucky because the exhibition I wanted to see wasn't opening until the next day. It was Chris Gabrin's "From Hear to Photography" and featured his work within the music industry in the late 1970s when he photographed punk/rock icons such as Elvis Costello and Ian Dury.
I watched the curator hang the images with interest, happy to get a sneak preview but all of a sudden Chris himself turned up and seemed happy to chat about his work. It was really interesting to hear first hand the methods and techniques he used to get the shots that adorned contemporary LP covers of that period.
Perhaps his most famous LP cover was Ian Dury's "New Boots and Panties" and Chris let me into a secret - how embarrassed he was that his white mini van and tripod (on which his trusty hasselblad was mounted) are reflected in the window of the shop which Ian and his son are standing in front of. It is only when you meet the artist you get to hear and see the flaws in their work which otherwise would be undetectable. If only I could get to talk to some other photographers to discuss their exhibitions for this module.
Meanwhile see if you can spot"his mistakes."
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