今日有請
1) 什麼時候開始攝影?
2) 為什麼會出版攝影書?
3) 可以介紹一下你的作品?
4) 出版時,你會遇到什麼難題?
5) 如何克服上述的難題?
6) 介紹一本你喜歡的攝影書。
7) 對於想準備出版的攝影師有什麼建議?
係中學已經開始拍相㗎喇,嗰陣時有darkroom就好鍾意曬相啊,咁之後畢了業後都冇諗過可以做個相關工作,係我去大學嗰陣時呢就讀public health 大眾健康,之後就去咗印度工作。咁就喺印度嘅時候開始影返相,因為多機會啦、或者多時間啦,就開始影返相。第一輯嘅project就贏咗個新聞時評獎,咁之後突然間就開通咗啲門路,跟著開始搵到工,幫啲唔同設施機構或者啲報章去影相咁就係咁樣入行㗎囉,嗰陣當時係二零零三年,咁但係其實即係早兩、三年之後發覺自己真係唔夠料啊或者唔係咁明白新聞攝影呢方面,咁就返返去英國再讀多個碩士關於新聞攝影,讀完之後就完全對新聞沒有興趣,反而開始做個人創作,咁係嗰陣開始整返關於同自己有多啲關係嘅嘢就咁樣開始㗎。
其實原本呢即頭頭入行,做咗幾年讀完書啦,幾年之後開始有啲叫做大啲嘅project呢,當時就其實係真係見到人哋覺得出版書好重要喎,而有一些保留或長遠嘅實質、實物喺度囉,唔係話做完展覽就冇咗咁,嗰陣其實唔識㗎但係見叫咗開始識出版商呀想出書,但係到咗而家即係你廿年後做唔同創作,而家我反而做書的原因完全不同,因為其實個作品係啱一本書啊,或者好似對上嗰本書其實係一本信件嘅故事書嚟㗎咁係最適當表達方式其實係一本攝影書,或者有字嘅攝影書咁變咗而啲即係之前個新個三本書,其實係攝影書係佢好重要嘅一個表達方式,但係以前就唔真係唔係呀,以前諗住有作品就去出書。
我就正式出版即係出版商出版,就出過四本書㗎咁其實唔使我特別介紹第一本啦,因為咁簡單單係講,影香港紙紮咁就一本好似出咗好似catalog咁就係一本好似出咗好似咁Catalog咁款㗎,第二本書呢就叫做女王主席與我,the queen, The Chairman and I咁呢本書就係其實我真係第一本係正式嘅攝影書。其實呢本書就尋根,咁個表達方式係講返我爺爺同公公佢哋個生活,之後講返佢哋點樣離開中國啊,(即係我哋)佢哋啲子女移民啦,其實用返佢哋個故事嚟講返二十世紀嘅中國移民史啊或者講返香港嘅歷史,咁寫出嚟其實係講返真係故事書咁想方式寫,主要對象就係我兩個女咁變咗係我爺公嘅一本書,寫畀個女故事書,咁之後第三本書呢就叫做顏姐,咁顏姐其實以前湊大我個馬姐,咁到當時佢係因為早期癌症發現咗,我就好多時間陪佢醫院啦,就發覺原來係我好親切嘅人,我完全其實唔係好識佢嘅歷史,咁又講返因為係一個自疏女,當時亦都冇乜record係講,當時啲人只職桃姐之外,唔知自疏女是什麼,咁我就想用返佢嘅故事,講佢一生描述返自疏女嘅事,其實主要嗰個作品反而係展覽做先,但係做完展覽之後我發覺好多層次講佢唔同年代,點解佢兒時到佢去到自疏等,到佢出嚟香港工作,之後到佢贊助侄仔侄女做生意,咁係一個好故事性嘅嘢,咁佢亦都覺得做攝影書係最啱,咁之後第四本就叫做Dear Franklin 呢部書頭先都提過係一本信件嘅故事書,其實就係一本講一個二戰時代嘅愛情故事,關於一個廣州人去咗上海,識咗個國民黨將軍嘅女,但係就以前離開時佢哋兩個分開咗,咁其實係個女仔寫畀佢嘅信囉,咁係用返佢個故事嚟講,呢一個作品其實原先我開始,攞咗些錢去做的嗰陣我話,其實話比人聽搵到個木箱咁係真實,咁但而家做過展覽後可以話畀你聽全部都我作出嚟,即係由書信都係我作寫,我自己寫到歷史上去到唔同媒體搵返嚟等,其實兩本書加埋一本就係佢哋嘅私人故事啦,另外一本就係佢哋講返啲歷史用唔同年代嘅雜誌講返佢哋書信講㗎事件咁,由好細件事講到好大件事,咁兩本書就係咁,其實如果一本叫Blowbook好似Magic Book咁嘅你可以由私人到public news咁樣睇法,咁這本叫做Dear Franklin嘅書呢個係我最新出版,是前年出版嘅書,到而家開始緊我下個作品都會喺做書,下兩集都會嚟嘅書你已經plan緊㗎囉,咁暫時賣個關子先,到出咗先再講。
咁其實始終出版,點樣講好呢,頭嗰陣原本出第一本嘅時候呢...或者個陣時唔係咁多人識我,最難係要搵出版社,到而家多了少少名氣啦或者即係有人會買個本書啊,但最大問題通常書都是找金錢的方面,因為其實攝影書係賺唔到錢㗎,但係賺錢嘅另外一方式以好多人會撚好多心機落去做得好好㗎囉,咁變咗其實第一本時我真係唔識嘢就係有一個出品商話肯出我就去籌錢,咁其實就係做得好差,我通常好少提第一本書。咁到二三四本書嘅時候啦就講返最難嘅問題。
第二本呢講返兩王主席與我嘅難嘅程度都係,錢,因為嗰陣我開始又識到啲人或者有出版商肯幫我出,但係亦都籌錢一方面比較難我,亦都唔想同埋第一本書咁做覺得好嘥錢,係暫時我覺得係做錯咗好多嘢,於是唔想會再自資或者我唔想去做Kickstarter,咁最尾好幾幸運就係搵到連洲攝影美術館做展覽佢肯出錢幫我做。
而第三本顏姐呢本書就比較唔同因為嗰本書,因為嗰個作品贏過幾個獎啦咁開始人識。嗰陣就係又喺中國度展覽嘅時候我就認識了假雜誌,係個寧波base嘅出版社,咁嗰本書原本其實因為係手工好複雜嘅書嚟,咁原本我係諗住做手工書,同埋跟住日本呢個Yumigoto做嘅workshop出咗本手作嘅書,但係識咗寧波假雜誌啦,然由出版社之外佢好想同我出一個商版,咁於是就同佢哋合作出咗本書,咁佢哋就會唔同因為佢哋個出版方式唔同啦,呢啲亦都可以遲啲,如果之後有機會可再講但係佢哋會係出錢㗎,但係佢哋嘅賣嘅方式唔同,所以佢哋可以咁做囉。咁第三本書就顏姐係最容易出嘅因為現油都鍾意就出但要慢慢設嗰度難少少的。
第四本書呢即係Dear Frankie啲本呢就係我喺二零二一年嗰陣喺瑞士一個博物館機構贏咗佢一個獎啦。咁個獎其實就會幫我,分我做作品同埋出書咁呢個亦都好唔就係已經係未出本書,已經有晒,有晒出品社、設計師,咁成本書出街好簡單㗎,講返原本呢其實最難都係出版嘅時候,第一但求錢啦,第二就係邊個幫你買囉,咁其實呃,這個可以令我談遲啲題目再講。
咁主要最好就係開始識多啲人啦,識多啲人去做多啲展覽啦,咁希望多人留意到你作品咁到出書嘅時候你已經有個觀眾會買你本書啊!有啲自己有錢出書印本書好易,但係印了沒有人買咁亦都係出嚟做乜呢?咁變相其實最緊要就係有咗個network喺度先係重點。
其實好多書都鍾意㗎,尤其是我自己品味啊或者自己嗜好都轉一路轉啦,所以好難話揀一本特別嘅但係其實如果講返原本我讀書嘅時候最崇拜,亦到而家暫時都係他最鍾意嘅書呢其實就係Alec Soth嗰本Niagara因為佢係,好多人都鍾意叫第一本Sleeping by the Mississippi嗰本啦但我反而鍾意Niagara 因為其實真係我覺得最有共鳴嘅一本書即係佢講返一個愛情故事啊,佢就喺尼加瓜瀑布度影唔同嘅人啊,之後佢哋儲返唔同嘅情信。咁就係好運用唔同嘅影人像啦,又啫係影室內嘅相啊,風景相呀,加上文字等,同埋個私人故事即係見到我而家做嘅書都係有呢個角度喺度,即係廣泛好多同埋會用唔係淨為用相而係,會諗下有其他媒體可以加埋入去更啱用。
我成日都話自己交個學費啦,第一本書自己嘥咗嗰啲錢,好多時第一本書就好似啲初書咁,我覺得係要真係做到最正嘅一本囉,我好後悔嗰陣呀有啊,即係好似( 𦧲飯應)咁,有出版社話肯我就有興趣。呃我就話即係繼續做好個project啦,唔係本本書都要咁著重一定出本書㗎,即係我話出咗四本書其實好多間中嘅作品沒有出版,我也有機會出書但嗰陣時其實唔直接唔出。有一本係影中國嘅講返,即係叫唐水黃土講返我對中國嘅八十年代嘅觀感啊啫係anyway,一個另外個project喇,咁其實係一個好land-scape base嘅work。咁亦都有出版社傾過㗎但係in a way 我覺得如果出咗個本書,但當然未留出我知唔知啦,但嗰陣我開始build up緊我嗰個自己嗰個風格嘅時候我覺得呢本書係好唔同,咁有多時啫係即你話啊準備出版有咩意見呢,其實有時係咪要,諗清楚啦,係咪要出呢本書啦?第二就係你想出嘅時候再做多陣即刻,要等到前book fair 前一定出咗佢其實可以等下期book fair你再做好啲,真係做到最好先出,因為一出咗你就冇得收返嚟改,出去你沒有得轉,所以最好真係諗真啲,即唔係叫你做十年但係絕對思考下可唔可以improve 下畀多啲人睇,或者搵個唔同嘅design嚟畀啲suggestion,整到真係最好過本書先出,而唔係為趕出展覽或者趕bookfair係嚟出一本書。
photographer
關於
Born in Hong Kong in 1977, Kurt was originally trained as a health visitor at the University of Liverpool. He worked and travelled extensively across Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 1999, Kurt co-founded Prema Vasam, a charitable home for disabled and disadvantaged children in Chennai, South India.
Kurt became a full-time photographer in 2003 and was the winner of the Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award with his first picture story documenting the treatment of disabled children in India. He worked for many other NGOs and covered stories from Female Infanticide to ballroom dancers.
He gained his Masters in documentary photography at the LCC in 2006 and began working on much more personal projects exploring his Chinese roots and understanding of his motherland. ‘In Case it Rains in Heaven’ , exploring the practice of Chinese funeral offerings, has been widely exhibited including a solo exhibition at Compton Verney and features in several public collections. A monograph of the work was published by Kehrer Verlag in 2011.