Josef Koudelka

Koudelka is possibly the single greatest influence on me as a photographer. I was shown his work by photographer and old friend of my fathers, Dick Swayne. I immediately fell in love with his work and, through the glimpses of his personality that shone through the images, with Koudelka himself and the lifestyle he led. What I saw helped me to understand where my own visions were coming from, where they lived within me and what I would need to do to set them free.

His images were raw and grainy and broke rules. Their composition was natural, yet they played with your eye. And they were taken by someone who seemed to live the life he photographed. He was there, amongst the tanks, he was a traveller sleeping in the fields, a nomad, an exile and a gypsy in spirit.

To me Koudelka and his work seemed to be everything I wanted to be as a teenager, both as a photographer and a person.

The best place to view Koudelka’s work is on the Magnum Website as he does not have a personal site.

Latest

Swarm

It was as simple as ‘get to the top of Finland and turn left’.  At least that is

Blink and you’ll miss it

Iceland. Never has the essence of a country so closely resembled the way in which I see the

Under the Stars in Madagascar

There are times when writing about memories from as far back as my eighteenth year feels wrong. How

Viewpoints

The Rooftop Collective exhibition edition VI Tempus Fugit. So they say. Here we are again, another Rooftop Collective

Memories

In Sweden without a camera

There have been many, many times over the last seven or eight years when I have been unable

Zen and the Art of Midge Maintenance

Scotland is famous for many wonderful things… Scotland is also famous for it’s midges. I had, of course,

Ablutions on the Giant’s Causeway

Sometimes you have to squeeze a trip into whatever time you have available. And if all you have

Revolution in the air

Three years at art college would not be complete without some politics, squatting and clashes with the police.

Randomly Selected

The National Portrait Gallery: Irving Penn

Irving Penn: Portraits at The National Portrait Gallery until the 6TH of February 2010: I went to see

Wild swimming in Romania

Deep in the heart of the Carpathians, Kate and I parked our van. We were in a field

Half a Mile from Russia

I do not know whether it is because of the generation I am from or whether Russia does

Equipment and Materials used – The Lens

A SOLIGOR F2.5 24MM I do own a 50mm as well as a 135mm, but to be honest