Post by Baz on Sept 23, 2007 15:35:06 GMT 1
This is a small display of my late friend Alf Smith's photographs.
I first met Alf when I worked in the Drawing Office at ICL. I think it was around 1965.
He was a quiet-spoken, very respectable and rather reserved draughtsman there. I became friends with him and soon found out that he was a photographer of note. Photography being one of my 'developing' hobbies it was obvious we had a lot in common to talk about and ultimately I owe a lot to Alf for setting me on the right track in taking photographs.
He specialised exclusively in taking Black and White photographs, on his medium format Mamiya twin lens reflex that were expertly processed and enlarged by Alf himself, to produce wonderful 16" x 20" pictures.
Alf lived in Newcastle and was a member of Newcastle Photographic Society who met where the Museum is now at Brampton Park, Newcastle. a He also held many exhibitions of his work and won many prizes and awards for his efforts. I remember strongly when he won the open ICL photographic competition, which, if you remember that in those days ICL had then about 30,000 employees scattered around the world, to win it outright was a brilliant achievement. I remember him showing me the winning photo, which was of a cluster of reeds in a lake. Nothing interesting you might think, but the way he captured it made it a work of art. So much so that the judges were unanimous in awarding him the first prize. The princely sum (in those days) of £55 was the prize and the presentation was held in our own Drawing Office where the cheque was handed to Alf by the Manager of Design Department . I have the photo that was taken;-
Alf Smith (left) receiving a cheque for winning the ICL Photography Competition, from Eric Thomas, D.O Manager
As well as a very accomplished photographer, Alf also was a man of mechanical ideas. I remember he invented a small tripod affair which could be used anywhere. I made one myself and if he had had the backing and inclination I am sure he would have succeeded in business too. But Alf was rather shy and retiring and just wished to enjoy his own hobby of photography.
He was a master of his own style of photography and so quickly became my mentor, helping me to start taking decent photographs. I can remember strongly all the tips and encouragement he gave me and I am still even now aiming to get close to his high standard, but sadly I don't think I ever will as Alf was so talented as a photographer.
Alf became a dear close friend and I was devastated when he passed away. Madge, his wife very kindly gave me some of Alf's enlargements as a keepsake and I still have them to this day and would never part with them. I have scanned a few and they are shown below.
"Woman at Well" by A.M. Smith
"Old Breakwater" by A.M. Smith
"Man of Fire" by A.M. Smith
I first met Alf when I worked in the Drawing Office at ICL. I think it was around 1965.
He was a quiet-spoken, very respectable and rather reserved draughtsman there. I became friends with him and soon found out that he was a photographer of note. Photography being one of my 'developing' hobbies it was obvious we had a lot in common to talk about and ultimately I owe a lot to Alf for setting me on the right track in taking photographs.
He specialised exclusively in taking Black and White photographs, on his medium format Mamiya twin lens reflex that were expertly processed and enlarged by Alf himself, to produce wonderful 16" x 20" pictures.
Alf lived in Newcastle and was a member of Newcastle Photographic Society who met where the Museum is now at Brampton Park, Newcastle. a He also held many exhibitions of his work and won many prizes and awards for his efforts. I remember strongly when he won the open ICL photographic competition, which, if you remember that in those days ICL had then about 30,000 employees scattered around the world, to win it outright was a brilliant achievement. I remember him showing me the winning photo, which was of a cluster of reeds in a lake. Nothing interesting you might think, but the way he captured it made it a work of art. So much so that the judges were unanimous in awarding him the first prize. The princely sum (in those days) of £55 was the prize and the presentation was held in our own Drawing Office where the cheque was handed to Alf by the Manager of Design Department . I have the photo that was taken;-
Alf Smith (left) receiving a cheque for winning the ICL Photography Competition, from Eric Thomas, D.O Manager
As well as a very accomplished photographer, Alf also was a man of mechanical ideas. I remember he invented a small tripod affair which could be used anywhere. I made one myself and if he had had the backing and inclination I am sure he would have succeeded in business too. But Alf was rather shy and retiring and just wished to enjoy his own hobby of photography.
He was a master of his own style of photography and so quickly became my mentor, helping me to start taking decent photographs. I can remember strongly all the tips and encouragement he gave me and I am still even now aiming to get close to his high standard, but sadly I don't think I ever will as Alf was so talented as a photographer.
Alf became a dear close friend and I was devastated when he passed away. Madge, his wife very kindly gave me some of Alf's enlargements as a keepsake and I still have them to this day and would never part with them. I have scanned a few and they are shown below.
"Woman at Well" by A.M. Smith
"Old Breakwater" by A.M. Smith
"Man of Fire" by A.M. Smith
