Page 12 - Photo Review

INSPIRATION

‘I'm always striving to do something

different and to perfect what I do.

I'm very critical of my own work...’

While he doesn’t have time for elaborating ‘When I get home [from a shoot] my wife For years, both on Australia’s Mount
ÁRZHU\ DUWLVWLF SKLORVRSKLHV KH SODLQO\ KDV D usually says "did you get anything you like?" and Kosciuszko and among the French Alps when
very distinctive and consistent approach that I always say "no". I'm never happy. Sometimes I he lived there he said, ‘I've been going to the
can fairly be described as his own style. GR WKLQN , YH GHÀQLWHO\ JRW VRPHWKLQJ ² EXW YHU\ VQRZ DQG FDPSLQJ , GHÀQLWHO\ SUHIHU ZLQWHU
‘I'm always striving to do something different rarely. I need it on a big computer screen before landscapes because they're minimalist and
and to perfect what I do. I'm very critical of my I can say “yeah, the composition works there... or have clean lines. And I've invested in decent
own work - and there's probably a pattern in there's some potential in that". Then I'll basically gear to allow me to go up to the mountains to
ZKDW , OLNH DQG ZKR ,·P LQÁXHQFHG E\ DW WKH take it into Photoshop and spend 15-20 minutes camp in the snow -- just because it's something
WLPH %XW LI , QRWLFH P\VHOI EHLQJ LQÁXHQFHG on it – and then chuck it away if it's not working. that not everyone does. I like to push myself
I get angry,' he laughed. Or, if I think "this has got something", I’ll save it to do something that is different. [It was] the
Lee accepts that there are times when and come back to it later.’ same with Claustral Canyon. [Getting there] is a
DYRLGLQJ LQÁXHQFHV FDQ EH GLIÀFXOW ¶:KHQ , /LNH PDQ\ DUWLVWV /HH LV QHYHU TXLWH ÀQLVKHG massively limiting factor.’
ZHQW WR ,FHODQG , KDWHG LW DW ÀUVW , ORYHG WKH with an image and as his post-processing skills Although he has a young family to
country, but I was just so torn. Everywhere I steadily improve, he’ll come back to reinterpret support and a full time engineering job to
looked, I saw all these shots that had already his work once he’s mastered a new technique. hold down, Lee’s photographic ambitions
been taken. I got very frustrated with that and ‘I’ve reprocessed an entire library of images, appear undiminished. A few weeks after our
DW ÀUVW UHDOO\ VWUXJJOHG WR GR VRPHWKLQJ XQLTXH hundreds of photos,’ he said. ‘I've gone back to interview he and the family would be off on a
‘You go to a location, look at all the angles WKH RULJLQDO UDZ ÀOHV WKURZQ DZD\ ZKDW , YH GRQH photography-centric trip to Germany, Scotland
and think, “that's the angle – unfortunately.” after I've learned new techniques. Every time I and the USA.
There are no other angles, there's no way of felt like I was better, I would delete my old stuff ‘I've come to realise that my biggest
getting around it. That [particular] composition and start again.’ motivation is travel,’ he said, ‘and if you took
works because everything within the scene falls 9LWDO DV WKH SRVW SURGXFWLRQ ZRUNÁRZ LV WR the camera away, I'd probably be happy just to
into its place. Everything has its own space, his photography, putting himself in the way of travel. Still, I do like to capture what I see and to
the sight lines lead in, and so on. So I will just SKRWRJUDSKLF RSSRUWXQLWLHV LQ WKH ÀUVW SODFH do something creative with the results.
make sure that I do a better job of it technically. – whether they be exotic locales or unusual ‘I don't want to be famous or anything and
, OO PDNH LW EHWWHU , OO ÀQHVVH LW PRUH LQ 3KRWRVKRS angles - is essential. I don't necessarily want to be rich. I guess
to how I want it.’ Gesturing toward his portfolio, he said, ‘I have success for me is being recognised within an
industry and amongst my peers, and continuing
As even a cursory glance at his work reveals, a photo with me from the Iceberg Lagoon in
E\ ¶ÀQHVVH· /HH GRHVQ·W PHDQ PDNLQJ D IHZ Iceland and it’s an over-under aerial shot. As far with the AIPP.‘
As someone who thrives on competition,
minor tweaks here and there. Even if you’re as I know, nobody has ever done that.
the AIPP’s annual APPAs give Lee the kind of
unfamiliar with the intricacies of luminosity ‘That place has been shot to death. So I
demanding contest of talent he thrives on.
masking or creating the Orton effect, it’s plain thought “okay, how can I put a spin on that...”,’
¶,W V GHÀQLWHO\ KDUG · KH VDLG ¶EXW LW PDNHV PH
that his post-processing skills are exceptional. he said, adding, ‘There are so many people out
progress as an artist.’ And having achieved
Of course that’s what you’d expect from there doing fantastic photos. But to really call
Master status he now wants to become a
someone who’s put in thousands of hours yourself a professional, to differentiate yourself,
Grand Master. ‘That involves a lot of money,
mastering the complexities of Photoshop – and you need to go the extra mile.’
a lot of years and a lot of hard work. But that's
who, in recent years has become accomplished Sometimes going the extra mile means
the next thing for me. It's something to aim
enough to teach those skills to other lugging an underwater housing to get a different
for and I know that it'll keep pushing me in
photographers through his workshops. perspective of the aforementioned Icelandic
the right direction.’
Lee says that when he’s out shooting he can’t lagoon. Or it can mean abseiling and boulder
always tell if an image is a keeper. It isn’t until hopping for hours to reach the Blue Mountains’ w See more of Lee’s work here
KH·V KRPH DQG DW WKH FRPSXWHU WKDW KH ÀQDOO\ spectacular Claustral Canyon. www.facebook.com/pg/LeeDuguidPhotograph
knows for certain. And then there is the snow. www.leeduguid.com
10 PHOTOREVIEW AUSTRALIA | Issue 75 www.photoreview.com.au