Darkrooms Uncovered - Geoff Maxted
A peek into a photographer's mental creative darkroom
What does your creative ritual look like? Do you have specific habits or conditions that spark your creativity?
Waiting. Looking. Appreciating what is in front of me.
When you're feeling creatively blocked, what's your go-to method for breaking through?
"What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare"
- W.H Davies
To go to a new place and look and see. It's too easy to snap and go. Inspiration comes when you consider fully what's in front of you.
Describe a moment when your creative perspective shifted dramatically. What triggered it?
When I opened a book about Saul Leiter.
When I read Stephen Shore's 'Modern Instances'.
What recurring themes or elements do you find yourself naturally drawn to capture?
Shapes. Design.
What non-photographic influences (books, music, films, etc.) most impact your work?
Modernist art. I previously was a fan of Victorian art works; Impressionism, Pre-Raphaelites etc. When I first saw Marcel Duchamp's 'Nude descending a staircase' that all changed for me and my focus since has been on early 20th Century modernists. Bold use of colour; simple themes and so on.
What photograph of yours feels most personally revealing, and why?
This is so hard to answer without sounding trite. I've thought about this at some length and decided not to use family photos or my own mugshots because it seems too easy. I have chosen this image because for me, it sums up missed opportunities in work, life and love.
Find out more about Geoff Maxted
Website: bio.site/Geoff.online
Instagram: https://instagram.com/geoffmphotography/
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