Part Four:
Mechanics

And so to the nuts and bolts of the job: the hardware and software. The importance of photographic tools is usually overestimated; nevertheless how a photographer prepares and uses those implements is crucial. We are surrounded by so much techno-babble, especially in the world of photography, that it’s often difficult to strip away all the technical distractions and irrelevancies to get to the nub of the task: creating strong images. Since Fox Talbot first exposed his calotypes of Lacock in the mid-19th century, the mechanics of the job have changed immeasurably, with the digital revolution of the last decade being the single biggest upheaval since his day. But the essentials remain the same: a lens, a sensitized surface and a means of development.

Corfe Castle at dawn, Dorset, England

• Fuji GX617, 105mm lens