Adam Thomson
I suppose I have often wondered why I enjoy taking photographs, but I hadn't really tried to figure it out. Then I came across the following quote:
'The photographer, like an acrobat, must defy the laws of probability or even of possibility: at the limit, he must defy those of the interesting: the photograph becomes "surprising" when we do not know why it has been taken" - Roland Barthes 'Camera Lucida'
I have always been interested in what seems missable, and the places and people we tend to ignore. In much of my work, the idea is to give my audience the opportunity to find the 'surprising' in the ordinary, so that they question what they are seeing. I like telling stories through the lens, but not in straight forward ways, in order to convey a feeling about a place.
I find that it is also possible to do the same with individuals in their familiar situations, and feel confident that I can always catch the moment. My view is that nothing is straight forward and has to be questioned, but I am also very careful to respond to briefs to make the most of every frame. I like the idea of exploring places which are new to me, or where I have just not taken a closer look - and that is where I try to find the interest and turn it
into a surprise.