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Paul Gallagher interviews Michael Pilkington - part 1 of 1 2 3

by Paul Gallagher Published 01/10/2009

'In order to be a successful photographer, you must possess both vision and focus, neither of which have anything to do with your eyes' - Kevin Russo.

Can you tell me about your photography journey?

Well it has been long! I remember having an interest in photography as a boy, having a number of cameras such as Instamatics and using my parents' Polaroid cameras. When I could afford it I bought my first SLR - a Canon A1. I still have it.

I remember being frustrated a lot of the time that my pictures weren't any good. Well, that is to say, the failure rate was very high. Equally, I never had the courage to venture into the darkroom and had to content myself with very average development and printing of my images.

This frustration stayed with me for most of my photographic life until digital emerged. Suddenly, I had easy access to more control over my images. I could afford to experiment. I was quickly sold on this new technology. I have never been back to film. I have progressed through a series of Nikon DSLRs - D100, D200 and currently a D300 and a gaggle of compacts.

Whilst many of the so-called 'old school' lament the passing of film, I think it a marvellous phenomenon. It has totally re-invigorated my interest and more importantly my passion for photography and image making. What is true for me is surely true for many people, as is demonstrated by the sky-rocketing sales of compact cameras and DSLRs, and the number of photo-sharing sites such as Flickr. Digital photography is as much a revolution as was the advent of the personal computer.

Nonetheless, my digital journey, whilst exciting, has not been fast enough. Perhaps I want too much? I decided to invest time and money in pursuing what is, after all, a core passion. Just over a year ago I embarked on a 'sabbatical'. My objective was to improve my photography to what may be considered professional level. At the very least I wanted to exhibit and sell at least one photograph to a complete stranger - this would be an independent test of my work. During this time I have had the great fortune to do lots of studying, travelling and meet some inspiring people. Many of these have, of course, been great photographers from whom I have learnt a lot.

What has been your key lesson over this time?

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