A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HATES PHOTOGRAPHY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 328, 5 October 1945, Page 10

A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HATES PHOTOGRAPHY

E called on Clifton Firth in his studio just now to find out what he intends to talk about in his two sessions in 1YA’s Winter Course Series, "The Arts To-day" (Thursdays, October 11 and 18). We told him that he is set down in the programmes to talk about photography. "But of course I. shan’t talk about photography," he said, as if brushing off an obvious impossibility. "In my first talk I shall talk about what I thought about Arthur Sewell’s talk on literature earlier in the series, and‘in the second I shall talk about whatever Vernon Brown says about architecture."

"But," we pointed out, "Vernon Brown isn’t in the series." Mr. Firth: seemed quite upset. "Well, it’s quite obvious I can’t talk about photography-what is there to say ebout it? Besides, I’m not interested in photography. Neither is anyone else, There won’t be anyone listening to this talk in any case-except the one who is following me in the series. And if there were any listeners there’d be three different types: the professional photographers whom I detest because they do such bad work, the amateur photographers who do very good work, and the onlookers who want to look at photography because it is art. So I shall have to talk about art with a capital A. And I intend to say how stupid I think people

are Who say that photography is not an art. But of course it is an art. It just happens to be a medium in which one artist can express his artistry; it doesn’t mean that a poet will take good photographs or that a photographer is neces‘sarily an artist. But it does sometimes happen that an artist finds that photography is his particular medium.’ We hurried to protect the people who arranged the series under the title "The Arts To-day," and included photography as one of those arts. "Oh yes;’ said Mr, Firth, "and I’m flattered, I find it flattering to the profession. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen photography officially listed as an art, It’s encouraging." "Just One Way of Making Money" "If you are not interested in photography how does it happen that you are a photographer?" we asked. "Well, I don’t intend to explain in my talk the obscure and complicated psychological reasons that make people take up photography, although they are very interesting. But it happens that in my case anyway those reasons don’t apply. There was nothing psychological in my taking up photography. I started simply because I had to have photographs. I wanted photographs for the advertising I was doing and I couldn’t get them so (continued on next page) _

(continued from previous page) I bought a camera and took them myself. Then I went on taking them because it was one way of making money." "Do -you suppose some people may: listen to your talks in the hope of hear-: ing some tips on practical photography?" we asked. "T can show anyone all there is to know about taking a photograph in twenty minutes," Mr. Firth said. "But do you think he'll be a good photographer after that? If that’s all there is to it all the professional photographers would be taking good photographs instead of bad ones. Oh, they can listen if they like to hear tips, anyone can get all the information, but information isn’t what makes good photographs." "You would say an artist makes good photographs?" "Yes, an artist — but only an artist whose right | medium happens to be