GEOFF STEPHENSON FRPS (Published Sep 2001)
Geoff's interest in photography started when, as a teenager, he was given a lovely little Zeiss Ikonta 16 on 120 which had been swopped for some cigarettes in Berlin in 1947. Geoff very soon became hooked on this magical ability to produce pictures, although he thought they were of a poor quality. He pestered a couple of professional photographers in Alnwick and learned an awful lot from them. One of them used to make postcards of local scenes and he remembers seeing huge dishes with dozens of postcards swilling about at once. Geoff's enlarger was a home made affair consisting of an old plate camera and a tin with a light bulb in it, running up and down a wooden easel. The whole thing shook and leaked light, which may have accounted for the poor pictures claims Geoff. This was replaced by a Wasp enlarger which improved things considerably and at the same time he acquired his first exposure meter. Geoff's other memory of those days is of his father taking a lemonade bottle out of the pantry and pouring himself a glass of fixer. Dad did not find it quite as amusing as Geoff did!
It was about this time that Geoff went to Dental School and joined a few of his friends in starting the Durham University Camera Club. They even had an exhibition, goodness knows whether the club is still in existence or not, says Geoff . About that time he exchanged the Ikonta for a 35mm Paxette, he still regrets doing this because he was, and still is, a larger format person. Although modern cameras and materials are so good, a good big-one will always beat a good little-one. Geoff eventually changed to a Minolta Autocord twin lens reflex 120 and an MPP enlarger. Geoff's photography was still for his own amusement and that of his friends. He had never been a member of a local camera club, in fact he did not even know the Alnwick Club existed. Whilst Geoff and Isla's family grew he turned more to 8mm Cine and this lasted whilst their three girls were growing up.
Geoff's hankering for monochrome prints was still there so he treated himself to a decent camera and joined Alnwick in 1978. At Alnwick Camera Club Geoff met Les McLean whose enthusiasm he found very infectious and to whom he will always be grateful for introducing him to, amongst others, three of his staunch friends, Arnold, Vince and Bert. With four others, they formed Images and were involved in many exhibitions and workshops. All his friends had their A.R.P.S. so it seemed a good time to have a go and he attained his in 1984. This was followed three years later with an F.R.P.S. and another five years afterwards with a second Fellowship, all in 20 x 16 monochrome pictorial landscapes. During the mid 1980s he joined U.P.P. and in 1989 won the Roland Jonas trophy for the best landscape and, in the same year, the Gold Label for the best large print. Geoff's equipment in use at present consists of the Hasselblad outfit he bought long ago and a couple of auto-focusing Nikons in deference to ageing eyesight. His main enlarger is a De Vere 6 x 9 cm with cold cathode head which gives a lovely smooth print quality and a Durst 6 x 6 with colour head although he says that he does not seem to use this very often. Geoff thinks he is rather fortunate in having a permanent darkroom which is very comfortable.
Computer imaging has brought much easier colour printing to those who can press buttons and he dabbles quite a bit himself but his inability to produce a monochrome print to match one made on fibre based paper in the darkroom means that he will not give up REAL photography for a while yet! (Geoff thinks this comment may ruffle a few feathers)! He still gets a tremendous kick from watching a print develop in a dish and knowing that he has got it right, possibly after many attempts.
Long may it last for Geoff.
Editor
Sadly Geoff died in September 2002