Personal Profile _ Brian Carroll

      Brian attended All Saints School in Gateshead, and it was the practice for the school to attend church after school on the first Friday of each month. The church involved was St Joseph's at the junction of Jackson Street and High West Street which meant Brian returned home via High West Street.

      Brian's route home took him passed Bambridge Studios, a photographer of high repute with studios in both Gateshead and Newcastle and also a black and white developing and processing laboratory above their High West Street shop. On one Friday afternoon, Brian noticed to his excitement that Bambridge Studios were advertising for an errand boy - "apply within" was the request. Brian was thrilled to be selected to fill this post at the wage of 10/- (50 pence) per week! The work involved an hour and a half after school and all day Saturday (sometimes helping to carry his plate camera for weddings). Brian had to cycle between shops picking up films and delivering contact prints etc.

      In the Studios, before his errands began, he was fascinated to view contact prints being washed in a cascade system and then loaded onto a conveyor belt which fed into a cylindrical dryer/come glazing machine, it was not long before his questions led to a visit to the darkroom with gifts of Hypo crystals and a bottle of trade brew developer and verbal instructions on how to develop the 120 roll of film and produce contact prints using gas light paper.

      Brian's success at this was soon followed by the purchase of a box of Johnson's Photo Tints and he and his mother had lots of fun colouring every print in sight. Brian still has these tints in his possession.

      Brian's enthusiastic conversation was one day overheard by his Science Master who invited him ( rather insisted) that he gave a lecture and demonstration to the class, he was so pleased that he was given the job of Science Laboratory Monitor - much to his annoyance and disgust as this eroded most of his free time.

      Brian's fiancée (later to be his wife) gave him a cine camera and although he did not have a lot of time for photography, he took family colour photographs and also used the cine camera.

      Brian's working career led him to work and live in Stockton on Tees, it was here that he met a friend who also had an interest in photography. Brian remembers his friend gave him a Ferania colour slide developing kit which he put to good use, and his interest was rekindled but for monochrome printing not slides photography and he bought a Yashica TLR and a universal enlarger for his hobby.

      During 1975 Brian and his family moved back to Gateshead and one day he met a member of Gateshead Camera Club. Brian decided to join, that was during 1976. During his time at Gateshead Camera Club, Brian has been Federation Representative, Print Competition Secretary, Vice President, President, Slide Competition Secretary and Committee Member!

      In 1995 Brian decided to visit Chester-le-Street Camera in order to meet up with a friend. The result was that Brian joined this club also. In his first year, Brian became Competitions Secretary and after a few years, Vice Chairman. Brian has always been an active supporter of all photographic competitions at both clubs his main interest being landscape, although he appreciates a wide variety of work and does not have any particular dislikes. Brian believes that Competitions are essential to any photographic club. He enjoys his postal portfolio very much indeed mainly because of the views of the other eleven members on his photographic work.

      Brian gains a great deal of satisfaction from attending the Federation Annual Slide Competition and also from submitting entries for the Annual Print and Slide Competitions. Brian is very pleased when his work is accepted for the Alliance entry or for a Portfolio, this to him is an excellent bonus.

      One of Brian's most satisfying achievements was gaining RPS and PAGB distinctions.

      Going out and taking pictures with friends also gives him a lot of pleasure, especially Federation and RPS organised events which may include holidays abroad.

      For many years Brian and his family have enjoyed caravaning trips in the countryside which of course lends itself to photographic opportunities.

      Brian's ambition is to gain higher distinctions in the PAGB and the RPS Awards.

      Brian once left a Medium Format Camera hanging on a gate post whilst having his lunch and walked off and left the camera. Fortunately about half a mile later he realised what he had done and hurried back to the spot where he had being eating his lunch to find the camera still there. Brian had taken some extra special photographs with the film in his camera on that very day that he forgot his precious piece of equipment, and was lucky to win one of the major competitions in Gateshead Camera Club with one of these photographs!

      Long may he have pleasure in taking photographs.

Editor