In Conversation with Landscape Photographer Kate Somervell
At Joe Cornish Photographers Galleries there are many photographers who create poetic and bold photographs. Viewed in passing, these can appear similar to those of epic landscape paintings. One of these photographers we have come to admire is landscape specialist, Kate Somervell. North Yorkshire based photographer, Kate, is particularly drawn to black and white imagery and will be exhibiting both digital prints and a specially made series of photogravures at Joe Cornish Galleries.
At a time when modern-age photography predominantly exhibits on Instagram, and the title ‘photographer’ has been largely normalised with the introduction of social media, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kate Somervell to get her thoughts about photography, how it all started and of course, her favourite gear.
Kate Somervell is the first photographer to be under the spotlight as part of Joe Cornish Galleries new ‘Focus on…’ feature. The exhibition is running from Saturday 11th May – Saturday 11th August.
What sparked your passion for photography?
KS: Like many other photographers of a similar vintage, the words Kodak Instamatic may well take you back in time. A mechanical treasure with resounding clunks and clicks and a cartridge film. Having captured enough images to fill the cartridge often took some time, the random subjects included the countryside, beach walks with the dogs, family picnics, the odd birthday or family gathering.
Finally, the cartridge was taken to the chemist for developing. The anticipation and excitement usually only lasted until the prints were collected, only to be followed by the crashing disappointment when looking at the results. The blurred images, head or a limb missing, and then the range of oh so helpful advice stickers telling me to hold the camera still, or whatever technical disaster I had achieved next, there were many. The carefree days of not having to worry about what was in focus or not, and what on earth did aperture or depth of field mean anyway, and as for composition?
At school, I did nothing to impress my art teachers, and painting or drawing was never within my grasp. But I loved handling a camera and I shot colour film for many years, albeit in a fairly random way. By now every walk was accompanied by a camera, and I was recording the countryside. The excitement of getting the prints back was never lost, and occasionally I got everything into the frame, however, I still understood nothing about light! Many years later, I managed to free up some time and decided to learn photography. It was a very conscious decision and one I have never regretted, and I am still learning every day. My ambition at the time was to learn to take a half-decent image. I had no idea this wonderful addiction would become a major part of my life that it has. It was early on in the days of digital photography and the quality was improving by the week, and so off I set off on my new adventure. I really just wanted to capture the magic of the countryside, the big sweeping views, the colour…or so I thought.
For your practice, what requires the most technique?
KS: What a tough question, I think there are many elements that contribute to the practice, but one of the most challenging is being a good editor, and knowing that sometimes that means leaving a favourite image out of a series or sequence. This is definitely not my strong point, however, there are a few people whose judgement is pretty sound and who are more than happy to voice their opinion.
Do you have a favourite piece of equipment, camera or lens?
KS: Even more specific than that, within the camera! The technology is extraordinary. For me, it is the ability to create multiple exposures in-camera so the image can be created on location. This involves a lot of experimentation and a massive amount of rejects, but there is a great sense of achievement when an image works in the field.
What do you think the main challenges for a photographer operating in the current art market are?
KS: Photography suffers in several ways and I think the challenges are many. Firstly, with mobile technology advancing at amazing speeds, most people have access to a camera. Some are good photographers, others less so and this has devalued photography. Secondly, there are many people who still say “oh that’s nice, if only it was a painting!”.
I think people need to understand the value of photography and really understand what is involved behind the scenes. It goes way beyond releasing the shutter.
What sort of post-processing do you undertake on your pictures? Can you give us an idea of your workflow?
KS: As little as possible! Post-processing is the least enjoyable part of photography for me. However, it is the necessary evil on the route to producing a good print. I use both Lightroom and Silver Efex, the latter I find particularly effective in the treatment of mid-tones. Later in the year, I will revisit Photoshop which I think I will use for specific techniques and that may seem less daunting.
What sparked your passion for photography?
KS: I have some ideas rattling around for a book which I started this year and will continue to work on next year, and maybe beyond. In terms of subject and style, I honestly do not know, and that is fantastic!
‘Focus on…’ is running until this Saturday 11th August.
If you are nearby North Yorkshire, make haste for a visit and find out more here.
Take a look at our latest Instagram Takeover with Joe Cornish Gallery.