George Felton
Introduction
When George Felton was seven years old he won a Box Brownie camera in a competition. He enjoyed drawing and painting at school and in adult classes. This led him to using a (rather better!) camera to express himself in many ways. He later became a Mathematics Scholar at Magdalene College, Cambridge, then an RAF radar officer during WW2. He enjoyed a career in designing and using digital computers with leading UK manufacturers. He found that this was great fun and gave him many opportunities to travel widely, and to meet and work with creative people. This was all long ago!
He has two Fellowships of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, in Visual Art and in Printing. He holds an Excellence de la Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (EFIAP). He is a member and past Secretary of The London Salon of Photography. He joined Arena in 1995.
After a great many years he enjoys his photography very much. He gets the most fun by taking photos of exotic places, mostly far away and not familiar to many people. He does hope visitors to this Gallery will find lots of scenes which will fascinate them.
George's philosophy
I have visited many exciting places: holidays in France, Spain, the Aegean, the USA – and business journeys to South Africa, Canada, Sweden, and Italy. From 1980 my trips extended to the American West, Iceland (six times!), Norway, Lanzarote, Hawaii, Croatia, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand, Greenland, Patagonia, Alaska and the Antarctic. I feel privileged to have visited all these places. I was inspired by much of what I saw and I took colour slides in many remote locations and in all sorts of weather conditions.
In 1982 when I wanted to make prints I bought a Leitz enlarger to make Cibachromes – beautifully smooth and permanent glossy prints that needed great care in printing and processing. I successfully entered many of these in international exhibitions.
I have always worked exclusively in colour. I like to record some of the stimulating landscapes and objects that I see, mostly during my travels. I work on some of the good ones when I get back.
I stopped using film in 1999 and converted wholly to digital processes. Recent developments have made it much easier, and more controllable and effective, to work on an image digitally rather than to use an enlarger and darkroom procedures. Dust and scratches (and intrusive objects) can be removed. Many precise tools can control colour, saturation and contrast, darkness and light accurately in all or part of an image. I output my results archivally on a professional ink-jet printer – and file the image for more further printing or treatment later.
I imagine that I can create impressive pictures that will persuade others to go and experience the thrill of visiting exotic and romantic places. I feel the urge to record my emotions by taking and enhancing photos. I talk enthusiastically about all these things with my travelling companions, and with my friends when I return home. I think I can make everyone feel like I do! However, imagination is sometimes over-wrought!
contacting George
Please let me know what you think of my images - send an email to george.felton@arenaphotographers.com