Eric Robinson

My evolution as a photographer

During my life, I have been a designer, teacher, furniture maker and filmmaker. I tentatively now call myself a photographer. The common theme throughout has been my desire to make things, albeit in a design-driven way. I think this approach has had a strong influence on how I make my images, in that most of what I take is seen and then conceived before the shutter clicks.

I first started taking photographs over fifty years ago, though in the last four years, I’ve begun taking photography more seriously. This has involved thinking a great deal about the process while at the same time trying to get to grips with its inherent subtleties, complexities and endless possibilities.

Links

Eric’s website

Eric’s Flickr

My photographic approach

I take photographs of ‘people, plants and found objects’ in an attempt to shed light on some aspect of their being, while producing what I hope will be a captivating and, at times, beautiful image. I want my images – particularly my plants and still life – to have as great a depth of field as possible. I need them to be sharp front to back, and display as much detail of the subject as the camera/lens combination I use can produce. This desire for detail and sharpness can involve taking upwards of eighty images for the production of a single final image. My style leads me to produce most, if not all, of my images in a studio setting. This allows me to control most of the factors that can influence the final outcome.

As photography for me is a very solo pursuit, one of the most important features of my photographic life is being a member of various photographic groups. Being able to talk and share with other photographers for me, is vital to my photographic development. My photographic friends have been and continue to be the most important influence on my photography and from whom I gain a great deal of support and inspiration.