I called my ‘open studio’ CameraWork45.

So what’s with the name?

CameraWork45 refers to the incredible avant-garde photography magazine Camera Work, the brainchild of visionary photographer, writer, publisher, and curator Alfred Stieglitz(1864-1946),founder of Photo-Secession, a movement dedicated to promoting photography as an art form. The first edition was published in 1903, the last in 1917.

Camera Work was all about fostering and showcasing great works. Fifty issues were published in all. The quality of the illustrations was superb. If many of the works published were typical of the original Photo-Secession’s preoccupation with producing photographs with ‘painterly qualities’, this by choice of subject matter and facture, Camera Work evolved with photographers, spurred on by Stieglitz, as they took a growing interest in capturing the modern world around them, developing a photographic language of their own, specific to the medium, turning their backs on that drive to rival past masters, establishing photography as an art form in its own right.

A spread of photos by Edward Steichen, the main contributor to Camera Work

In Studio CamerWork45’s ‘Horner Book Corner’, I have a copy of Alfred Stieglitz Camera Work The complete Photographs (published by Taschen).

Some of the books available to browse in the Horner Book Corner

In it, a brilliant text by Pam Roberts, titled ‘Alfred Stieglitz, 291 Gallery and Camera Work’ critically outlines Stieglitz’s amazing contribution to photography ( and other arts that he promoted), makes for an enlightening read, that digs much deeper than the few words of introduction I’ve offered above. Believe me, Pam Roberts, who was Curator at the British Royal Photographic Society from 1982-2001, knows her stuff! Conveniently the text is available to read in English, German and French. All the wonderful photographs by Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand, White, Meyer and many others are there, reproduced to a high standard, emulating the tones, colours and grain of the originals.

So if you’re ever anywhere near 45 Main Street, Felton, UK, don’t hesitate to swing by CameraWork45, where with modest means, in the spirit of the original Camera Work, I am proud and delighted to contribute to promoting photography. 

You’re more than welcome to make yourself comfortable by the Studio’s window and dive into this great book of great works.

Workshops too!

I’m also passionate about encouraging the hands-on practice of photography. So consider booking a workshop, for example, Black and White Landscape Photography. We could explore emulating the visual language and processes of past masters, as in the example below.

‘A fleeting moment’, an homage to Pictorial Photography by Christophe Chevaugeon September 2021. Digital photography emulating historic analog processes and preoccupations. 

     Christophe Chevaugeon September 2021