Watching movies about photographers

My wife remarked to our evening guests, “ John always tells me about any camera when one appears in a TV show or movie”.

Yes, I do that. I can tell her I am sorry for boring her, but I’ll just do it again the next time I see an actor in a show with a camera.

I do enjoy watching movies about photographers. They may be classics like “Blow Up”, staring Vanessa Redgrave and David Hemmings. In that movie the plot is about a fashion photographer that takes some casual shots of people while he walks through a park, however, when he blows up his prints he realizes he’s also photographed a murder. It is a worthwhile “time period” movie to watch if one doesn’t mind director Antoine’s preoccupation with symbolism, and personal comments on what was hip in 1966. I liked watching and critiquing the photography and wouldn’t hesitate to see it again. The stylish photographer kept enlarging, cropping, and enlarging the prints from his 35mm camera. Impossibly, the prints were always sharp and without any grain.

Another show I also remember has a poor story line, by director Michael Bernard, called “Nights in White Satin”. Yes, the title and lead song of the same name was by musicians, the Moody Blues, and the music throughout was pretty good, and, in spite of not being too complex, actors Kenneth Gilman and Priscilla Harris starred in the simplistic story revolving around a photographer who gets involved with a homeless woman.

The photographer tooled around on a Harley Davidson, used a Leica rangefinder camera, and, in spite of hurriedly taking pictures in dimly lit flophouses and back alleys the pictures were always as if with crafted studio lighting, and perfectly exposed. Of course, the woman living on the street was beautiful and clean, and used makeup. The gallery exhibition and photography scenes were fun to watch and easy to pick on.

The third and last movie I will mention is one I recently watched. It was a made-for-TV British show that comes on the Knowledge Network each week entitled “Midsomer Murders”. The director sets his main characters, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Jones in this show investigating the murder of a camera club member. Some members are at odds with other member photographers (who, of course, are also being murdered) over which technology is better, film or digital. It was interesting to observe that the club members who used film had twin-lens Rollieflex, Leica rangefinders, and wooden 4×5 cameras, and all wore those campy khaki-coloured, photography vests with all the pockets we occasionally see from time to time. The club members that were using digital cameras, electronic flashes, and computers all wore black leather jackets and black pants.

The directors must have had fun searching out every photo cliché imaginable, and, of course, a major error I observed was evident in a darkroom scene where one fellow printed and developed colour film in a brightly lit room with what could only have been black and white chemicals. I couldn’t have been more delighted!

I am a sucker for any movie or TV show that involves photography. They usually are poorly done, and I am sure I ruin it for anyone unfortunate enough to be in the same room because I am so vocal about everything photographic. I do have a great time and can’t resist outbursts pointing out everything right or wrong. I expect some readers may share my enthusiasm. I wonder if there is a group called photography movie addicts (not so) anonymous or something equally as silly?

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