Interviews Tom Ang in conversation with Fotoflock
Tom Ang is a photographer, a best-selling author of photography books, an educator and a TV presenter. He also produces HD clips.
Your first preference was to become a clarinettist which later shifted to studying medicine. When did you realise your inclination towards photography? What was the journey like?
If I could have been at the top of the game as a clarinettist, I would have stuck to it: but I knew I did not have the talent. So I did what seemed sensible and studied medicine. But I spent all my time at Music School, performing in every concert on campus and even conducted an orchestra. Not surprisingly, I failed all but one exam at Medical School. So I turned to philosophy: I was quite good, but again not clever enough to get to the top. So it became the turn of photography.
While at medical school, I visited a travelling exhibition. It was a small show of French landscapes by Henri Cartier Bresson. With the arrogance of a callow, irritating youth, I thought ‘I can do this.’ So I bought my first camera – a Leica M3. I couldn’t afford it, so I got into the red and a lot of trouble for it. But it gave me a taste for excellent equipment. And it was the first indication of the fact that to get anywhere, you may have to bang your head against the wall until it gives way: it hurts but it’s worth it … in the end.
Do you remember the first object you shot?
I do. It was a swan flying across the wintry sky over the University of Nottingham campus. It was bleak, blurred and very grainy (I over-developed the film). But it was the first time I’d felt the energy and intention that went to make an image. Later, I would understand that this feeling is the difference between a grab shot and a created photograph.
Could you share your experiences with us as a freelance photographer?
My first realization of the realities of freelance life was when I helped out another local photographer with advice on the fees I was charging. I can’t remember what they were – this was in 1970s – but I do remember learning that she used my information to undercut my quotes. Nonetheless, I believe in helping others who are starting and have never held back on sharing what I've learnt.
I’ve been in the fortunate position of having worked in many different roles in photography. As a freelance, I’ve worked as photographer, writer, roving editor, photo magazine designer and layout artist. I’ve edited camera magazines, worked on a national newspaper running a picture desk (way too much like hard work), curated shows, even started a photo agency, and made several attempts to start up photo festivals. And I’ve taught photography and journalism up to Masters level at University. Nonetheless my favourite gig is my current one, which I’ve been doing ever since my first book on digital photography eleven years ago.
How do you see social photography? Do you think it has an effect on people’s sensibilities?
I see photography as social: it’s a wholly social activity. Even an image that is never seen is made in the knowledge that someone else can see it. Social photography – in the sense of pictures made to be used on sites such as Facebook, MySpace etc. to share experiences, comment on events – is perhaps more than 90% of all photographs presently made. There’s nothing new in this: the greater proportion of pictures made in the film era were for family albums: colour negative films outsold transparency film by ten times: only pros and enthusiasts used slide film.
I think photography has an important effect on people’s sensibilities. If it did not, I would not think it worthwhile my working at this: for me, it’s important that photography helps make the world a better place. I believe that photography helps open people’s eyes to the beauty, richness and fragility of the world. And with that appreciation comes a sense of responsibility and the urge to care for and preserve. That is why I do this work. It’s not just for paying the gas bill.
“...to get anywhere, you may have to bang your head against the wall until it gives way: it hurts but it’s worth it … in the end.”
Should a photographer be able to learn from commercial work and then apply it to his personal work?
I like not to distinguish commercial from personal work. In Far Eastern traditions, sweeping the floor is done with as much serious attention and intention as painting on silk. I try to remember that ethos: every action and so every image, is a spiritual act, a celebration of life and love – whether I photograph a brick for a client or a beautiful person for my books.
Besides, I’m in the fortunate position of being able to use anything I shoot. I can indulge myself by shooting anything and everything; in fact, I have to extend myself and shoot everything that a photographer might want to shoot. That’s my job. I often describe myself as a ‘professional amateur’: literally, I am paid to do what I love to do. So there’s no line between what I do because I want to – my ‘personal work’ – and what I’m paid to; which is how I like it.
People like to talk about their 'lucky breaks' but I think it's more hard work and passion that leads to a breakthrough to becoming a professional photographer. When was your breakthrough?
The French novelist, Emile Zola, said that talent is necessary, but it is nothing without hard work. And another Frenchman, Louis Pasteur, observed that chance favours the prepared mind. But there was a pivotal moment for me.
I had submitted a feature on how to use tripods, to a magazine. It happened that it was losing its technical editor at short notice, so I was asked if I was interested. At the interview, I ran circles round the editor, technically speaking, so he hired me. At that time, I’d never had anything published; not even a photograph.There followed several years of writing thousands of words each month reviewing equipment, explaining photographywith my own photographs – first for that magazine, then every magazine in the UK. Sometimes I wrote so much I didn’t recognize my own words in the publication.
“...photography has an important effect on people’s sensibilities. If it did not, I would not think it worthwhile my working at this: for me, it’s important that photography helps make the world a better place.”
Your work has led you to travel to many places. Which has been the most challenging till now and how did you overcome the same?
There are different kinds of challenges. It is tough for me to shoot in the United Kingdom because I don’t often find myself excited or drawn in. On the other hand, in my garden in New Zealand, I photograph almost every day, but the tough challenge there is to find images which do not repeat other shots made just inches away. A trip to Guyana was a challenge because it was very hot and humid in the rainy season plus we had a bad tour operator so I got very tired and grumpy.
Yet when a picture presents itself, the focus of energy and attention takes over. There was one really bad day in Guyana:it was nearly the end of the trip, I was exhausted, in a lousy temper, plus I got stuck on the wrong side of a sight-seeing plane and had to shoot blind: holding the camera at arm’s length. We had a maximum 15 secs of good views over the waterfall, yet I got a couple of shots that were perfectly framed, complete with rainbow and sharp; even the horizon was level.
Do you think that the photographer today has to watch out for people who are learning to manipulate the media?
Photography today is more complicated than it was even just ten years ago. The visual is now deeply embedded in social interaction, rooted in a rise in visual literacy and coloured by mistrust and scepticism. All over the world, ordinary people are struggling to have their voice heard. Who can blame them for using everything they can: if you don’t have guns you have to make do with broomsticks. With the evidence that internet-mediated social networks have been crucial to the changes that started in the Middle East and Maghreb in 2011, it’s no surprise that people are trying to use photograph in ways which photographers may find uncomfortable. Look at how many soldiers were using cameras over the dead body of Gadaffi.
“...photography helps open people’s eyes to the beauty, richness and fragility of the world. And with that appreciation comes a sense of responsibility and the urge to care for and preserve.”
Looking back at your work, which of your pictures make the strongest impression on you and why?
Looking back at my work, I see the most recent most strongly. When I started, I watched a photographer on contract from LIFE magazine shoot a hundred rolls of Kodachrome in one day. I heard that was his average every day. Perhaps once a year I will hit that kind of rate of shooting. I shoot very little compared to other, really hard-working pros. Yet most years I in my books I publish hundreds of images – a fair number by anyone’s standards.
So why does the recent work make the strongest impression? Because it’s what I am using to move forward and keep learning. I’ve extracted what I want from the old work; they’ve been used, sucked dry; I’ve stepped on them to new images. Yet with two of my current projects, I’m surprised that I can’t find anyone else – including me – who has explored the simple concepts.
Could you provide a word of advice to the young budding photographers of today?
If you really want only one word, it’s ‘Don’t!’ I am always saying in my workshops that if you need encouragement to take up photography, don’t do it. If you want advice, the advice is ‘don’t do it’.
Face the facts: there are over 200 million people out there using cameras that can shoot to professional quality. Even if only 1 per cent are reasonable shooters, you have an awful lot of competition. Fact: the value of pictures has been cut by 90% in the last ten years: you have to work 10 times harder to earn the same amount.
If you are willing to ignore my advice, willing to sacrifice yourself, work incredibly hard, invest incalculable amount of your time and life - if you’re willing to do all that, you don’t need my advice. What you do need is good health for energy, good food for mental focus and a good heart to remember that everything that is worth doing is done with love. Without love – love for the Earth, love for other people, love for honesty and integrity, love for beauty – what’s the point?
© TOM ANG
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