If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough

[vin_petrol]

Watching the BBC D-Day reconstruction, with Robert Capa featuring prominently, reminded me that a large part of my early years consisted of "wanting to be a war photographer when I grew up." I thought this was the coolest job on Earth. I wanted to be riding a Huey in the Mekong delta, flak jacket on with peace sign painted on the back, a couple of Nikons slung around my neck and a backpack full of Tri-X, living with the press corp in the Holiday Inn in downtown Saigon, picking up tips on where the best pictures could be taken. I thought the sound of a motor drive was the best sound there was. Tim Page was my obvious role model.

Some of my favourite films are those with war photographers in: Under Fire, The Year of Living Dangerously, Full Metal Jacket, Frankie's House, Salvador.

I did the best I could by doing loads of amateur photography, and working on York Uni's newspaper Vision, but I didn't need a steel helmet. I did wear an an ex-German army shirt with the sleeves cut off, and filled the pockets with HP5, but that was the closest I got. I never could afford a Nikon.

Unfortunately, the world had kinda moved on by the time I graduated. Still photographs from war zones had been supplanted by moving images. It did seem like a lot of hard work, and probably quite dangerous too. So I became a computer programmer instead.

Comments

[blue-condition.livejournal.com]

A typical Grapevine entry could be summarised as:

"TARQUIN WANKSHAFT (Langwith, Basketweaving, 1990)

Hi! My life is incredibly wacky and zany! After graduating with a Third in Basketweaving I joined the incredibly fun KPMG graduate training scheme, where it's just incredible laughs all the time! One day a column of figures didn't quite add up!!!!! Still sinking gallons of real ale and shafting loads of totty. Hi to Wanker, Shagger and all the Tosser Posse!"

"PIPPA WANKSHAFT (nee LIFESTYLE-ACCESSORY), Derwent, Droopy Frock Wearing, 1990)

Married Tarquin Wankshaft in 1991. Busy Working Mum."

I wonder how many affairs were discovered that way? ;P

[vin_petrol]

PIPPA WANKSHAFT (nee LIFESTYLE-ACCESSORY), Derwent, Droopy Frock Wearing, 1990)

I remember this girl really well. She wouldn't shag me :-)

[blue-condition.livejournal.com]

Much of my undergraduate career was taken up with lusting after women who wouldn't shag me. In later life I decided to only start lusting after women who [b]would[/b] shag me - one finds one's own depth ;)