Personal Profile _ Myles Audas

      "I like taking pictures and I particularly like taking pictures I like". An aphorism attributed to Elliott Irwitt which epitomises Myles's attitude to photography and his enjoyment of it.

      Myles Audas's involvement goes back a long way. His father was a gifted amateur and as a young boy Myles used to watch him in the darkroom. Although fascinated by the process his participation was limited to keeping the condensers of his father's gas-illuminated enlarger free of condensation and checking the progress of the P.O.P. (printing out paper) contact prints in the printing frames. Myles interest soon faded but was revived in 1938 when his father gave him a 16-on-120 Ensign Selfix and so began his active interest in photography. This interest was abruptly ended in September 1939, when his Army service commenced, and began again in 1946 on his return to civilian life.

      Then photography was difficult as equipment, and roll film, was practically unobtainable. However 35mm was available in limited quantities so he bought a second hand 35mm camera. The film turned out to be Government surplus of doubtful quality and only available in unspooled lengths. The camera was an Agfa Karat with four shutter speeds, a lens that popped out on bellows and little else. The only thing in its favour was that it did not have the usual 36 exposure cassette but two cassettes, each holding 12 exposures. The film fed from one cassette to the other so it was easy to clip a length from bulk film and load the cassettes.

      About a year later when Myles visited his local chemist to buy a yard or so of film, the chemist asked if he would be interested in attending a meeting to discuss the formation of a Camera Club. Myles agreed, out of politeness and a desire to ensure his supply of film. This was how, by a lucky chance, Myles became a founder member of the Barnard Castle and District Camera Club. After one season in the beginners section Myles went to the Advanced Section of the club. To overcome the limited facilities of his simple camera he soon learned the importance of good negatives and meticulous darkroom practices. This is a lesson which he has remembered all his photographic life. Myles made 12" x 16" and occasionally 20" x 16" prints from this basic camera which was hard work and he decided he needed a change of format and bought a rather battered plate camera, a Zeiss Maximar, with a 135mm f4.5 Tessar lens. Although some negative materials were now more readily available he was disconcerted to find that the 9cm x 12cm plates this camera was designed for were unobtainable. Myles, therefore had to modify all the dark slides to take both ¼ plate ( 3 ¼" x 4 ¼") and 2 ½" x 3 ½" glass plates. Eventually sheet film came on the market This meant a considerable reduction in weight and the certainty that, if dropped, the negative remained in one piece.

      This change to a larger format required a suitable enlarger. As most photographic equipment was difficult to find and, if found, very expensive, the only solution was to make an enlarger. Myles set about and made his own enlarger. The enlarger may not have been a delight to everyone's eye but nevertheless it did all Myles wanted it to do. Myles continued to use the enlarger until about 15 years ago to make both colour and monochrome prints. The Zeiss camera became the negative carrier, focusing mechanism and enlarger lens. Experts warned him that camera lenses were useless as enlarger lenses. Myles's enlarger proved them wrong and he has been very wary of "expert" opinion ever since.

      The success Myles had in making this enlarger encouraged him to make almost any item of photographic equipment you can imagine. In the light of continuing equipment shortages he was persuaded to show his efforts to others. Myles started giving photographic lectures or talks to various clubs in the early 1950's, on "The answer is in the Negative" and "Home-made Equipment". The latter talk lead to some hilarious evenings. This did not discourage him as he is still making gadgets to this day.

      The Barnard Castle Camera Club went from strength to strength. The Club ran an International Exhibition for 5 years or so. Myles and his father organised the International Exhibition for the last three years. Then disaster struck Barnard Castle Camera Club, their gallery was converted to other uses and the Exhibition came to an end.

      The great advantage of his plate cameras, by this time Myles had obtained the latest model of a Sanderson 4" x 5" technical camera (at least it was the latest in 1910) and the camera movements and interchangeable lenses (none of which cost more than £5.00) enabled him to combine his photography with another of his interests - Architecture. Myles has an enthusiastic interest in ecclesiastical architecture especially the construction and design skills of medieval builders and the creativity of their artists, masons, carpenters and carvers. Careful and informed exploration leads to some marvellous discoveries followed by the satisfaction of solving the photographic problems. Myles says he has spent more time on his knees in more churches than the Archbishop of Canterbury.

      Myles has exhibited architectural and other monochrome pictures to the many Print Salons that existed in the fifties to the seventies. Most are now defunct, alas. Myles remembers after one Exhibition being telephoned by a very distinguished Fellow of the RPS, a specialist in architectural photography, complimenting him on some of his prints -There is a catch here thought Myles. Not so, the caller asked if he knew of a church that had been recommended to him and was it worth a visit. The answer was yes to both questions so Myles arranged to meet him and take him to the church which is rather difficult to locate. They had an enjoyable morning together. Lunch time was approaching, fortunately the pub across the road was offering food. "One last exposure", he said, "Stop the lens right down, remove the dark slide then off to the pub." Myles stopped down to f64 and off they went. Some 50 minutes later they were both still sitting in the pub talking. Myles kept looking at his watch, sensing his disquiet the visitor suggested they return to the church. As Myles and his visitor passed through the lych-gate into the churchyard the visitor began to run. "If we had been a few seconds later" he panted "my negative would have been over exposed". This is how Myles learned the significance of reciprocity failure.

      About this time the Barnard Castle Camera Club folded as a consequence of a bizarre and unexpected circumstance. This was a great disappointment to Myles and although he was out of camera club life for two or three years, he did not desert photography but continued to submit prints and sometimes 3 ¾" x 3 ¾" lantern plates, to Exhibitions. Myles has always been interested in experimentation and spent time exploring various techniques such as Gum Bichromate, Etch Bleach, Posterisation, Solarisation, Tone Line, Carbro even Trichrome Carbro and others. Myles made his own solutions from obscure formulae in the B J Almanac and tried out developers such as Amidol, which he rather liked and Meritol Caustic, which never lived up to the claims made for it, and many others such as Pyro Soda. Myles also tried cinematography using 8mm. Although he learned a great deal during this period in the wilderness he was hesitant to join another camera club even though he was still visiting clubs. One day he unexpectedly received a syllabus from Arnold Lee of Bishop Auckland PS. Myles will always be grateful to Arnold as this got him back into club photography and he enjoyed several happy years at Bishop Auckland. However, their meeting night made it increasingly difficult to attend and so he joined Darlington CC and renewed the companionship of many people he had known for a long time. Being a member of Darlington CC allowed him access once more to the North Yorks and South Durham Photographic Association of which he is one of the five founder members. Myles has enjoyed the years he has been a member of Darlington CC and is honoured to be an Honorary Life Vice-President and their current President.

      In 1976 Myles successfully applied for Associateship of the RPS in the Pictorial category with transparencies - 18 in those days. A Fellowship followed in 1990 in the Applied category and he was encouraged by the late Arthur Downes, then President of the RPS, to try for a second Fellowship. Myles applied in 1991 and was successful in Visual Arts and successful again in 1997 in Visual Arts - Pictorial. All three Fellowships were with home processed colour reversal prints. Myles now serves on the Licentiate Panel of the RPS and has twice been a member of the panel for PAGB distinctions. Myles received his APAGB in 1989.

      After AFIAP in 1988 he began to lose some interest in sending entries to International Exhibitions although he continued to do so but concentrated on prints. Unfortunately the cost of sending prints to exhibitions, particularly overseas, markedly reduced the number of submissions he made.

      Some 45 years after judging his first Club Competition Myles resigned two or three years ago from the Federation Judge's List, although he is still on the National List and he continues to visit clubs.

      During 1970 Myles was appointed as a selector for an International Exhibition for the first time. His most recent task as a selector was in September 1999 so he is still active in selecting International Exhibitions. Myles has not kept a record of the number of International and National Exhibitions (including one in South Africa) and the Federation competitions in and outside of the NCPF he has judged. Myles does remember being a judge for the National Slide Competition on two occasions, at Solihull and at Warwick.

      Last year saw the beginning of Myles's 81st year and he felt the need of a change of direction so he became a "traitor" to the darkroom and began to dabble in the dark art of Digital Imaging. It is said you cannot teach and old dog new tricks but he is thoroughly relishing getting to grips with new technology and unravelling the mysteries of Photoshop. This is merely an extension of the enjoyment of photography that has motivated him all these years. Myles can now say "I like making pictures, and I particularly like making pictures I like".

Pat Porrett LRPS