Last Updated on 10/08/2017 by Chris Gampat
Image by Giles Duley for ILFORD Inspires
Photographer Giles Duley is a documentary photographer who specifically states he photographs what he doesn’t like. It’s a powerful statement.
Through a series of global events called ILFORD Inspires, HARMAN Technology and ILFORD Photo seek to encourage people to try traditional black and white film. The latest photographer to be featured in their upcoming event is Mr. Duley, with images from his stunning “I Can Only Tell You What My Eyes See” exhibit. Set to take place during the PhotoBlock at the Old Truman Brewery in London on October 14th, the second ILFORD Inspires event will give visitors a private viewing of Giles’ impressive black and white photographs documenting conflict, and a talk from the esteemed photographer himself about the art of storytelling he has mastered.
In the video below, ILFORD gives us a preview of their upcoming event with a slideshow of his photos from his exhibit, which is a big part of his long-term project called Legacy of War. The video also includes some snippets of Giles’ life, motivations, and mission as a photographer. He also says something about his love for black and white, the drama it creates in the stories he captures, and the magic he believes never left since the time he first developed film 25 years ago.
“I get scared, I get upset, and I get very emotional doing these stories, but I’ll keep doing it for those odd moments, those odd ripples that, you know, create change,” Giles says about the work he does as a visual storyteller. “If it saves one person, two people, three people that I inspire in my career, then I’m more than happy.”
Understanding that many aspiring photographers today want to learn how to tell a story, Giles suggests starting by looking at our own lives and documenting the things surrounding us. It’s these moments that are truly our own that make for unique stories.
“Remember that everybody’s story is unique. And as a photographer, your way of telling that story is unique. My advice to anybody who’s starting out is, look at your own life. Look at the things around you because they’re unique and you seem them uniquely. ”
The event is free, but to catch Giles Duley’s talk for ILFORD Inspires, make sure to register on the event page to secure your tickets.