Photos and Music by Terry Magson
Can you tell us something about yourself?
I’m a male musician from the Isle of Wight, south coast, UK, but recently moved to London. I happen to have a few cameras which I try to keep close by as I like the smell of them.
How did you start taking pictures? Usually there is always the old story of the boy who finds his grandfather’s camera; did that happen to you as well or not?
No, I first started taking photos when I became curious about the process of digital cameras. Not having to develop a film, the instance of the pictures etc. It seemed a lot easier. The camera was a super low pixel cheap piece of junk, but I managed to capture a few images that made me immerse further into cameras & photography.
I now have a couple of different film cameras which I prefer to shoot with mostly.
For me it has a more of an authentic valuable process, more of an art form. Anyone can go out and shoot hundreds of shots with a digital camera; it doesn’t take any real skill, that’s not saying there aren’t any great digital photographers out there.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration? I guess my surroundings at the time, nature, people I may be working with musically or living with, or maybe from something I’ve been listening to. The general need to create.
In a portrait, what is important for you?
For me what makes an interesting portrait is if the photo says a lot about the person, the intensity of an emotion captured, the trust, If it portrays a solid story or reveals more than it should. Also a nice balance between background and person.
What kind of relationship do you have with your subject when you shoot?
I usually shoot friends which works out kind of well, as I tend to know and try to achieve a side of them which I feel will make a strong shot.It’s always nice to have that slight natural comfort between each other. The realness and slight uncomfortableness of a stranger can be exciting as well.
Do you think it’s important to follow a school to learn how to shoot?
I would say it’s not so much. You can learn a lot now yourself, and still be left with your own instinctive identity and imagination. Your own Intuition is important to.
What’s the photo you want to take and you never did?
It would of been the one where I was riding on the back of a black octopus in the ocean of wangola, suddenly I caught my reflection in the eye of a giant gualla fish and thought… fuck I wish I had my water proof camera. I only had my regular film camera.
What’s your photo-mission?
To go back to wangola and snap the giant gualla fish and it’s friends.