Harry Gruyaert: ‘I discovered how to see’

From The Telegraph photography pages by  Lucy Davies

In Paris, in his early 20s, Harry Gruyaert would go to the cinema five or six times a week. Having been desperate to leave his hometown of Antwerp, where – in his words – “there was nothing to learn”, he had relocated to the French capital in the hope of becoming a photographer. “It could have been London or New York, but Paris was nearer and Paris had some photographers I had heard of,” he says. “But Paris also had better movies, and I learnt everything at the movies.”

The year was 1962, and in between screenings of Truffaut’s Jules et Jimand Antonioni’s L’Avventura – he watched the latter more than 10 times – Gruyaert would sit in his tatty little apartment and telephone the hippest fashion photographers of the day, hoping for an “in”.

Paris, 1985 CREDIT: HARRY GRUYAERT / MAGNUM PHOTOS

“I started with William Klein and Jeanloup Sieff and I asked if I could show them my work,” he tells me, when we meet in London. “Klein said: ‘Maybe, but can you charge a camera battery?’ I was so excited, but all I could think when I met him was ‘Jeez, this guy looks and behaves exactly like his photographs.’ It was the most important lesson I learnt, because it showed me right away that photography is all about personality.”…………………”Gruyaert was particularly taken with colour, and began using it in the way other photographers use light, to add a structure and depth. He was way ahead of the curve. At that time, colour photography was relegated to advertising work. “Very few people got involved in colour in a personal way,” he says. “But then I went to New York for the first time and I experienced Pop Art. These paintings by Warhol and Lichtenstein helped me to look at colour in a different way, to stop being a snob and to use its vulgarity.”

We’re here to discuss Gruyaert’s book, a retrospective of his career featuring pictures taken from the Seventies through to the present day and all over the world. Now 73 and a member of the illustrious Magnum photo agency, Gruyaert has finally settled in Paris…READ the full article here

8 best mid-range DSLRs of 2015

OK here is Tech Radars best 8 mid range DSLR cameras, of course you will disagree with their list but that is the point of lists in blogs

Mid-range DSLRs offer more power, robustness and control than typical entry-level models. They’re great for shooting tricky subjects like sports or wildlife, thanks to having faster continuous shooting rates and superior autofocus systems. Many also add weatherproofing for extra robustness and peace of mind.

Although mid-range DSLRs don’t tend to offer more megapixels, you’ll often get an increased ISO sensitivity range to help with low light shooting. But just because these cameras are intended for enthusiasts that doesn’t make them intimidating.

Additional controls can actually improve their ease of use as you learn more about photography, yet they still include an automatic mode that’ll take care of everything for you.

1. Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Canon’s top APS-C-format DSLR may be pricey, but it doesn’t disappoint

Sensor: APS-C CMOS | Megapixels: 20.2 | Lens mount: Canon EF-S | Screen: 3-inch, 1,040,000 dots | Continuous shooting speed: 10fps | Max video resolution: 1080p | User level: Enthusiast/expert

£374.00 

Fast continuous shooting

Excellent ergonomics

Relatively expensive

No touchscreen or Wi-Fi

Canon fans had to wait a long time for the 7D Mark II, and though the original 7D was ahead of its time, its replacement is a big step forward in every way. Its 65-point autofocus system (all cross type) is state-of-the-art and copes well with moving subjects, plus you get quality weatherproofing that’s almost a match for the pro-level EOS-1DX. A new 150,000-pixel RGB and infrared exposure metering sensor helps produce accurately-exposed images with well-controlled noise levels, attractive colours and impressive detail. Unfortunately, all this tech doesn’t come cheap, but the 7D Mark II is well worth the money.

2. Nikon D7200

More of an upgrade than a new camera, but a very good one

Sensor: APS-C CMOS | Megapixels: 24.2 | Lens mount: Nikon DX | Screen: 3.2-inch, 1,229,000 dots | Continuous shooting speed: 6fps | Max video resolution:1080p | User level: Enthusiast/expert

£809.00 

Built-in Wi-Fi

Very sturdy

Fixed screen, not touch-sensitive

Highest sensitivity setting JPEG-only

For every Canon DSLR, Nikon usually has a rival camera, and the D7200 is its response to the EOS 7D Mark II. It may not be a complete overhaul of the D7100 it replaces, but there are enough tweaks to give it a distinct edge. Images from the 24.2-megapixel AA-filterless sensor are detailed and vibrant, and though the pixel count remains almost identical, you can now shoot more images continuously thanks to Nikon’s more powerful Expeed 4 processor. Unlike the 7D Mark II, the D7200 also boasts Wi-Fi with NFC pairing, and its superb 1100-shot battery life thrashes the Canon’s 670-shot rating.