in focus: donald cameron

To show the final moments of mankind.

The majority of images you shoot are black and white; why not shoot colour

I’m looking to produce an altered version of reality in my images, to take an interesting scene and turn it into something you can’t see in everyday life. I feel it’s much easier to do this with black and white than with colour, you can really push the boundaries with deep blacks and bright whites, which opens up so many more possibilities. Hopefully it also feeds the imagination and leads to a more engaging image for the viewer.

Your images are quiet and serene; how did you develop this photographic vision?

I really believe there’s nothing better than having a deserted stretch of coastline completely to yourself, it creates a real sense of calm and freedom. I wanted to be able to get across that feeling of isolation in my images, so started using long exposures to remove the chaos of the sea and sky. The effect is enhanced in black and white because it simplifies the image and draws the eye to the empty spaces; it takes you to a place you can’t go in reality.

If you were allowed only one lens, what would it be and why?

I prefer to keep my kit to a minimum so this is a fairly easy question. I’d use the Canon 70-200mm F2.8 lens, primarily because the image quality and sharpness is about as good as it gets in a zoom lens. Using a lens of this type for landscape and seascape photography can actually help with composition, you can’t fit everything in like a wide lens so you’re forced to focus on the most important part of the scene.

You mentioned that the work of Ansel Adams inspires you. If you were able to ask him any question today, what would you want to know?

I’d like to ask him how he reached worldwide acclaim in the days before the Internet. The idea of a photographer not having a website seems completely alien now.

Does your photography inspire your poetry or is it the other way around?

My interest in writing poetry only really started within the last couple of months, and is very much inspired by the images. I’ve wanted to explore more complex themes lately so this seemed a natural fit, though I only write something if I feel it will enhance the message or mood of the photograph. The only poem which inspired an image is “Hush” (as pictured), which came about after wondering what it would be like to be the last man on Earth, and what would you shoot as the last ever photograph?

How do you feel when you are on the other side of the lens?

Exposed and very alone. I rarely go in front of the lens as that’s not something people want to see, I wouldn’t want to subject anyone to that kind of horror! Seriously though, the only reason I’m in the “Hush” image is because there was no-one else around to photograph as the “last man”.

In 2007 you received a “Dewar’s Spirit of Aberfeldy” award for your image “The Dewar Highlander”. Everyone wants to know, did you receive any whiskey–or should I say whisky–with that award?

I did indeed. Received a £50 voucher which got me 2 bottles of single malt, a box of whisky fudge, and 2 postcards (couldn’t let that last 40p go to waste). Lovely it all was too!

So there you have it! Thanks Donald for being my very first in focus interviewee. If readers out there have any other questions for Donald, please post them in the Comments below or feel free to contact him directly.