Mark Lamb, known as Dark Inventions on the forums, serendipitously submitted a portrait photography spotlight to us right before we announced our community self-portrait mini challenge. This is a great capper for a week of luminous portrait photography among multiple community initiatives. Be sure to stop by the community forums to check them all out. In the meantime, see Mark’s story and the people he photographed below.
This story is part of our What’s in your bag? community spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
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| “Another image from the Whitby goth gathering – one of the regular attendees.” Sony a7R V | Sony 85mm F1.4 | F1.4 | 1/400 sec | ISO 400 Photo: Mark Lamb |
Meet Mark Lamb
Home base: United Kingdom
“Photography has been part of my life for over forty years. What began as an interest in recording people and places gradually became an exploration of memory, identity and the passage of time. I have always been drawn to portraits because they allow me to connect with people from every walk of life.”
“In recent years, my work has become centered on a long-term project called One Thousand Contemporary Portraits, an attempt to create a broad and inclusive portrait archive of contemporary Britain. The project has taken me from fishing communities and military veterans to Goths, performers, campaigners, artists and ordinary people whose stories might otherwise go unrecorded.”
What’s in Mark’s bag
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| Mark’s camera bag
Photo: Mark Lamb |
Favorite camera: Sony a7R V
“The camera has become less important than the conversation that happens before the photograph. The image is often the final stage of a much longer process of listening and understanding.”
- Lenses:
- Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
- Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM
- Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM
- Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
- Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM
- For the Olympus PEN-F: 12mm and 17mm lenses (equivalent to 24mm and 35mm full-frame).
- Support gear: Mark typically carries a silver/white foldable bounce board and, when using the Olympus PEN-F, its compact flash unit. Away from photography gear, he considers a notebook and pen essential, along with calling cards featuring contact information and samples of his work. He keeps the kit flexible primarily by changing lens combinations rather than adding equipment, usually choosing either a 24mm/50mm/135mm trio or a lighter 35mm/85mm pairing.
- Camera bags: Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L and a second Peak Design sling.
“I use two Peak Design slings, but usually only carry one of them on a shoot. Despite its modest size, the 10-liter sling will fit an a7R V with a 50mm lens and another a7R V with a 135mm lens. If I’m carrying a third body with the wide-angle lens, it will be on a QD sling outside the bag. I love these bags because I’m never tempted to overload them, and they are reassuringly waterproof.”
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“The girl’s precious rabbit was initially hidden, but a cooperative mom negotiated an appearance |
“I am primarily a portrait photographer. I am interested in people who carry visible traces of their lives in their faces, clothing, surroundings and personal histories.”
“Many of my photographs are taken in northern England, particularly around Scarborough and Whitby. Whitby has been especially important because it brings together people from remarkably diverse backgrounds. The annual Goth events provide opportunities to photograph individuals who have consciously created identities that challenge conventional ideas of age, beauty and self-expression.”
“My aim is always the same: to create portraits that are honest, empathetic and respectful.”
“Alongside this, I photograph travelers (gypsies), circus, religious groups, family members, veterans, theatrical performers, dancers, and any of the charismatic people I encounter in my everyday life. My aim is always the same: to create portraits that are honest, empathetic and respectful.”
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“Beamish, near the city of Durham in the north of England.” |
How has your photography changed over the years?
“I’m not getting any younger (my vintage is 1956), so I’m in a constant battle with myself to lose weight from my bag by shedding all but essential gear. I’m definitely more patient than I used to be and make a lot of effort to engage fully with my subjects.”
“I tend to use a simpler visual language these days, and I think it helps give my work a recognizable stamp. I’ve been fairly successful in the last year or so since I made an effort to put my work out there (rather than sitting on a hard drive) and, as a result, found success in the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, when a portrait of my wife was selected in the English National Portrait Gallery in London. I’ve also had exhibition success and appeared in a few magazine articles.”
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| “My wife and dog, Enid and Molly. This is entitled ‘Precious Things in the Stream of Time’ and was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London.”
Leica Q2 Monochrom | Summilux F1.7 28mm ASPH | ISO 200 |
Portraits don’t always reveal the surrounding scene. What places are your favorites to take these photos in?
“I’m a frequent attendee at the Whitby Goth Weekend, which happens twice a year, in the historic streets of this old fishing village. I also attend community events, special-interest meetings such as comic cons, and turn up regularly at cultural events such as gypsy horse fairs, religious processions and so on. In short, I will go anywhere that I can expect to find interesting people.”
“As a younger man, I traveled the world extensively (circa 170 countries), but these days I don’t feel the need to leave the UK in my search for subjects. I’m pretty certain that if I lived closer to London, I wouldn’t need to travel outside the M25 (the motorway that encircles the city). Instead of traveling, I prefer to spend my effort in returning repeatedly to the same communities, which allows me to build relationships over time.”
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| “Joan was ninety-three when this portrait was shot. She had just been running (!!) to catch a bus and had narrowly missed it. Luckily for me, she then had plenty of time for a portrait session.”
Sony a7R IVa | Sony 50mm F1.2 | F1.2 | 1/640 sec | ISO 100 |
Is there such a thing as “the perfect portrait”?
“The perfect portrait usually happens after the planned photograph. Once the subject believes the session is over, the performance often drops away and something more truthful emerges. I pay close attention to conversation, body language and silence. Technical decisions are important, but the most important part of portrait photography is creating an environment in which people feel comfortable enough to reveal themselves.”
“The perfect portrait usually happens after the planned photograph.”
“The only advice I could possibly offer to someone I don’t know is to shoot what you know and not what you’d like to be seen shooting. That’s how I view my ongoing One Thousand Contemporary Portraits project. I’m also continuing work on memory, aging, and identity, and I have a burning desire to create a lasting portrait record of contemporary Britain.”
Mark really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums.
You can check out his other work at darkinventions.com.
Thanks, Mark, for being featured!
Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you’re selected for a feature, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
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