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Behind the Lens With Gerry Walden
I have been listening to jazz and trying to capture the essence of it in photographs since the late '60s. Based in southern England, where I was Born, I cover as many gigs and festivals as I can manage to get to and I now have a substantial library of jazz photography.
Gear:
This is always changing, but just recently I have switched to a Fuji X-Pro1 because I wanted something more intimate with good low noise ability; photographers will know what I mean if they have tried shooting jazz musicians.
Teachers and/or influences?
David Redfern.
I knew I wanted to be a photographer when...
I got my first camera at the age of 14 and have been hooked ever since. In those days it was the sight of the print coming through the developer, and you never forget that. A print out of the printer just isn't the same somehow.
Your approach to photography:
Casual, friendly, unassuming but always professional.
Your teaching approach/philosophy:
Teaching by demonstration and results; if it isn't right in the camera it will never be right on the print.
Your biggest challenge when shooting indoor (or low lighted) events:
Light—I always want more light. And then there is getting past the PR people. Musicians are great; agents can be a whole other story.
Your biggest challenge when shooting outdoor events:
Photographers are like farmers, the weather is never right. We never like the light. We always want the subtlety of the light from an overcast sky but we always also want a nice blue sky.
Favorite venue to shoot:
Turner Sims Concert Hall (Southampton) and Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Favorite festival to shoot:
Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Where was your first assignment location?
Concorde Club Southampton; it went fine and I sold an image of Clark Terry from that night.
Your favorite musician(s) to photograph:
Neil Cowley, Abram Wilson and Bill Frisell.
Did you know...
I used to be a health inspector responsible for hygiene on major cruise liners.
View more Gerry Walden photos at All About Jazz
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