Member Profiles

Robin Wallace

Born 1937 in Belmont, Durham, but has lived in Ferryhill for nearly forty years. He is married to Pat and they have a son and two small grand-daughters. He had a long term career with Durham County Council and is now retired. Robin joined the Society in 1959 and is our longest serving member. He is one of only three (at the time of posting) Honorary Life Vice Presidents and is in charge of Press and Publicity for the Society.

Robin says: “This is my club. I have never ever thought of joining another”.

MY PHOTOGRAPHY

My interests in photography are wide but with landscapes and portraiture featuring prominently over the fifty years. One of my favourite subjects has been the colourful bands and banners of the Durham Miners’ Gala even when producing black and white prints. For more than thirty years I photographed weddings semi-professionally as a means of making extra income. Another aspect of photography, which was part of the Society's interests, was cinematography, now video, which I practised with colleague from work and fellow member Tom Peel.

THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE

The earliest was my elder brother, who started photography and build a darkroom when I was about 15 years old. After several years I discovered DPS in 1959 and gravitated towards the enthusiasts: Tom Peel, Ted Mansell, Doug Smith (all work colleagues also) and Harry Holder. They were perhaps the greatest influence as I tried to emulate their work, as well as others such as Colin Armitstead, Walter Baxter, John Watson, Don Bennett, Fred Dawson and Arthur Attle,

MY FIRST CAMERA

I think it was a Paxette 35mm though I have had so many. I acquired the first SLR with through-the-lens metering, the Pentax Spotmatic, which did not actually have spot metering, but it had a mechanical fault. Having no confidence in it I declined the offer of another one and chose to have a Nikkormat instead. I have been a Nikon person ever since. For over twenty years my favourite camera was the Rolleiflex twin lens reflex medium format and also the Mamiyaflex TLR.

MY FAVOURITE CURRENT KIT

My current favourites are the Nikon D90 and D200

MY FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Quite a few over the years -Yousof Karsh of Ottawa for studio portraiture, for natural human recording Henri Cartier -Bresson and Robert Doisneau, Robert Capa,WW2 and Don McCullin and Phillip Jones Griffiths for Viet Nam. Griffiths stood beside me once at Durham Miners Gala. For recorders of poverty and social injustice, Sebasteo Salgado, W.Eugene Smith and Bert Hardy. These are some of the "greats".

THE DPS AND ME

I have mentioned some of the members who have been my great friends over the past fifty years and now enjoy the company of the newer members with whom the Society has a great future. I have never attained any distinctions but once had a picture of a little girl in church awarded first place in a national magazine competition. Another print was selected to represent the NCPF in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain competition.

THE 3 THINGS I ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE DPS

Being in the company of so many fellow enthusiasts.

The friendships, camaraderie and banter.

Enjoying so much great photography from members and guest speakers.

THE PEARL (Advice to budding photographers)

I am not sure that I can offer much advice except to say that you should take the pictures that you enjoy and not be put off by criticism. Hopefully some of it will be constructive. You may learn from the comments of others and enjoy being a photographer and member irrespective of competition results

More Member Profiles Member Profiles