James Ravilious - A very English Photographer

[peterm1]

About once a year I have posted this link here for the benefit of new members who may not have seen it. James Ravilious was a photographer who spent most of his career documenting life in and around a small village (using Leicas incidentally).

He was the very talented son of Eric Ravilious a highly regarded water colourist. For those who have not seen it this is a very beautiful documentary about his work.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh5l57_james-ravilious-a-world-in-photographs_creation

And here it is on Youtube for those who prefer that location

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYg8mxvUgJE&feature=player_embedded#at=15

 

[Keith]

This is a wonderful video and so inspiring when you're searching for things in your life to photograph. James just photographed the people, the landscape and the lifestyle around him and did it with an open caring heart and a keen eye.

I never get sick of watching this ... thanks for posting the link once again Peter. 🙂

 

[Mark Wood]

More information about James Ravilious and the Beaford Archive here:

http://www.beaford-arts.org.uk/index.php?id=5

The books really are excellent.

 

[OurManInTangier]

Probably my favourite photographer; to my mind he produced pictures that combined humour, sheer beauty and an obvious passion for his subject with an ability to really document the skills and way of life of those he photographed.

When so much documentary photography is similar in its vision and style I find James's work to be outstanding in its need to be beautiful. Perhaps not always the most "true" as is mentioned in the film, he avoided some of the more unpleasant aspects according to some of those interviewed in the film, but then he was also very open about his desire to show the beauty that he saw in the world; or at least that part of the world he photographed.

I have this on DVD and watch it quite regularly, inspiring and slightly depressing in as far as I wish I had his talent, ability and gentleness. His father's work just happens to be some of my favourite watercolours too....a very talented family.

Good idea to post this Peter. Maybe we should have a video section that we can link to for the benefit of all, I know very few well known photographers and always enjoy watching this type of thing.

 

[Moriturii]

I've seen this so many times, and it's still amazing.

Anyone knows what sort of lenses he used? They talk about old lenses, uncoated etc.

http://youtu.be/TYg8mxvUgJE?t=9m50s <- right here.

And, he has taped up the lens hood to give it even more protection from flare and whatnot, anyone have any good idea as to how one would go about doing the same thing? It would be easy if I had a digital camera with M mount, you could just tape it up more and more and take picture and see when it starts to vignette but I don't have one 🙂 Specifically on a 5cm f1.5 summarit.

 

[Pikapig]

Love the way he mentioned about the silver in his black and white pictures 🙂

My respect goes to this man!

 

[pakeha]

Thanks for this, far more interesting than anything on the TV round here
Though i did not understand a word from the pheasant plucker🙂
regards
CW

 

[OurManInTangier]

Though i did not understand a word from the pheasant plucker🙂
regards
CW

I don't think even us Brits understood most of what she said during the entire program!

His shot of her in her short dress coming out of the shed or outside loo sums his work up for me. Not just s great candid environmental portrait but laced with the exquisite timing to get three cows in a wonderful pattern included in the frame.

With regard to the lenshoods, it seems he experimented and made some very large hoods to enable him to shoot directly into the sun. Alot to learn from his approach

 

[peterm1]

Talking about lenses I have to say that old uncoated lenses can give great effects in black and white imagery and I can particularly see how Ravilious would have loved the effects he got from them. Some of the nicest mono images I have shot came from a simple uncoated prewar tessar lens on a Contax 2 with lovely soft gradations and no harsh tones.

 

[tlitody]

I don't think even us Brits understood most of what she said during the entire program!

I did but then I live just on the other side of the moor.

 

[zuikologist]

The books have been reprinted and available by Amazon. Well worth the money.

 

[blw]

Wow Peter...it took me all day to finally get a chance to watch it. This guy was awesome!

Thanks so much for posting it again. I don't know how I missed it before.

 

[Keith]

So many people seem to aspire to be the next HCB ... me, I'd be happy to be the next James Ravilious.

 

[benlees]

So many people seem to aspire to be the next HCB ... me, I'd be happy to be the next James Ravilious.

You seem to be doing fine being yourself!

 

[peterm1]

I have just noticed that there are some other good videos on Youtube

My personal hero - Robert Capa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlnI3UwWqPo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMeXO2EJh7U&feature=related

As my Hungarian dad might have said when he was alive .... "My boy dat Capa - vot an mahn"

 

[Thardy]

Thanks for sharing. I'll have to watch the 2nd half tomorrow.

 

[charjohncarter]

When you posted this a few years ago I watched the video and visited his site. But since then I have watched the video many times. And still
go back to his site. So thanks very much. James had a really simple talent, something I wish I could achieve. Of all the photographers galleries and sites I visited I am still drawn to him the most. He died too young and as that friend said in the video 'oh James.'

 

[Keith]

You seem to be doing fine being yourself!

Thanks benlees. 🙂

What I was implying was that a lot of people want to seem to be street photographers and HCB, Winogrand etc, seem to be icons for them ... whereas in reality there's a whole world of photographic opportunities out there that don't actually need to have a label put on them. It's just life and it's constantly happening all around us ... Ravilious exemplifies this IMO.

Admittedly he did live in a very beautiful (IMO) part of the world ... but he still had to see it and want to document it in the way he saw it.

 

[Mark Wood]

I've seen this so many times, and it's still amazing.

Anyone knows what sort of lenses he used? They talk about old lenses, uncoated etc.

http://youtu.be/TYg8mxvUgJE?t=9m50s <- right here.

And, he has taped up the lens hood to give it even more protection from flare and whatnot, anyone have any good idea as to how one would go about doing the same thing? It would be easy if I had a digital camera with M mount, you could just tape it up more and more and take picture and see when it starts to vignette but I don't have one 🙂 Specifically on a 5cm f1.5 summarit.

According to the book, "An English Eye", he used 35 and 50 mm Elmars and a 28 mm Hektor (all uncoated), with a light yellow filter on a Leica M3. He also worked with a VIOOH viewfinder permanently on the camera. Film was either Tri-X or HP5 and in later years, he used Tri-X rated at 200 ASA, developed in Perceptol (diluted 1:2 with water).

 

[ashfaque]

Spiegel im Spiegel is a perfectly fitting tune for this docu. I'll have to check my docu archive to see if I've recorded it when it aired on BBC Four.

Thanks for the reminder Peter. 🙂