Gareth Jolly
Black and White Photography
garethjolly@bigpond.com.au
About Me
Introduction
I am an amateur black and white photographer, living in Sydney, Australia. I am originally from Melbourne.
My first camera was a Kodak 'Bullet' camera bought, at the age of 5, for 50 cents from my primary school fete. 1973. My first venture into medium format. My first significant capital investment in photography (well, I was 5).
My first realisation that to be a photographer, you don't need something new. Well, something like that.
From there, I went to a 1930s Rolleicord (Dad's). Then, I was given a brand new 110 instamatic. Predictably, my career stalled at that point.
Years passed. I finished primary school, high school, university, moved out of home. And all the sorts of things that went with that.
Then, by a quirk of fate, I was walking down to St Kilda one day in 1992 with a couple of friends, Nigel and Karen (see Untitled 1992). We passed a garage sale at a block of flats, with a pile of stuff on a table outside. I thought I recognised that guy selling the stuff from Uni. But, when I said hello, he spoke in such a strange voice that I decided I was mistaken. We were combing through the tables when Nigel (who was into photography) came across an old Olympus FTL, with 50mm lens, and flash. Nigel had an Olympus himself, so (after checking through the mechanism) he gave me first dibbs.
Shades of 1973.
I asked the guy, How much? He said $100. Karen, Nigel and I looked at each other. We pooled our money. $50. Then offered him that.
He said, I'll be back. Then disappeared into the flat.
We waited for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. Then he returned and said, ok. Then asked how I was, as if he knew me. But, by that time, I'd decided I had been mistaken and that it wasn't the person I knew.
The camera (amazingly) worked. Worked brilliantly. The 50mm was pin sharp, although I never realised how good it was until years later (see, for example, Adrianna and Swinging Sidewalks) when I upgraded to a Nikon with a modern zoom (Hey, why are all these photos soft?)
But the story has a tragic postscript, which I only pieced together a few years later. Yes, the guy who sold me the camera was the guy I knew at Uni. He was gay. His partner was dying of AIDS. The sale was a sale of his possessions. The guy I knew went into his partner in the flat to see if $50 was ok. Later, his partner died.
I like to think that I have put his camera to good use - that at least his camera was sold to someone who valued it, who used it. For its age, it may have seen the world. Taken great photographs. Maybe with me it will see a bit more still.
I did a black and white course and started to learn a bit more about the medium.
Sydney
In Sydney, I did more courses - first at the Sydney Community College, then the Australian Centre for Photography (ACP) then finally at Point Light in Glebe (including a course in platinum printing at Point Light).
In 1996, I did the ACP 'Art Practise' course and, from this, came three group exhibitions - at XY Space at the University of Western Sydney, at Particle Gallery in Clovelly then finally at the Regent Street Galley in Chippendale. You can find some of my photographs from these exhibitions (and a student exhibition previously) at Mannequin and Ghosts, Judgment and Waiting Here.
Along the way I bought a second hand Nikon FE with zoom new Nikon zooms. Then ditched my new Nikon zooms for some old, manual focus zooms (then prime lens) with decent sharpness.
I'm currently struggling to get together a solo exhibition from my trip to Europe in 1998. Here is an overview of some of the images. Some of the better shots are Moped Riders, Dialogue, Photographer and Gargoyle and Death Blow.
Equipment and Film
I've now upgraded to a Leica M6, rangefinder camera. A whole new way of photography. Brilliantly sharp lens, quiet shutter and, as you can see outside the frame of your shot, a different compositional perspective. (see, for example, Thinking and Trish and Ross)
The Leica is backed up by my Nikon FE (circa 1978) and Olympus FTL (circa 1960s somewhere).
My favourite lens are 50mm (i.e a normal lens), followed by 85mm / 90mm (i.e moderate telephoto lens). This places me at odds with most of the rest of the world who seem to be leaning more to wide angles lens.
In medium format, I use (very occasionally at the moment) a Mamiya C330 TLR.
I've also collected from Melbourne my old Rollei TLR (thanks Dad) and reclaimed my Kodak bullet camera (thanks, Sarah (my sister)).
I've never used autofocus. I hope I never have to.
I don't like flash much. One of the few examples of me using flash is Ball Room Dancing Contest - but I was using 3200 film as well so I didn't totally lose the background in massive hall.
My favorite film is Kodak Tri X, developed in HC 110. I love the texture and quality of the grain.
I also use TMAX 3200 (in HC 110) and now Delta 3200 (in Xtol from here on) and Ilford FP4 Plus in HC110. I'm being coaxed towards Delta 100 and 400 in Xtol.
I print on Agfa classic, fibre based, variable contrast. I've flirted with Ilford Multigrade Fibre - including an extended dalliance with the matt fibre.
Influences
Reading across my bookshelf: Selgado, Bischof, Cartier Bresson, Bill Henson, Eugene Smith, Walker Evans. And a few others.
Me
As taken by one of my closest friends, Anthony Silver. Well, he'd have to be one of my closest friends, I did lend him the Leica. Briefly. ('Now focus on my glasses frame.' 'Click'. 'Ok, now give it back to me...')
Gareth Jolly