Our fantastic collection of interviews will take you on a tour of the journeys of some well-known photographers around the globe.
This time, we were honored to interview an inspiring and talented photographer Gavin Gough, whose experience and expertise can be a great source of learning.
Gavin Gough is an editorial, humanitarian, and travel photographer documenting stories that reflect the human condition. He is British/Irish and works in Bangkok, Thailand, and Rome, Italy. Gavin spoke to us over email last week. Gavin himself has clicked all the images used in this post. The interview conducted is presented below. Enjoy reading!
Question 1: What was your source of inspiration in getting into doing what you do?
Answer: I grew up on a relatively small island off the south coast of England. There were few opportunities to become a travel photographer; when something is out of reach, its appeal can become especially exotic and tantalizing. Books of adventure stories, TV travel documentaries, and the occasional glossy magazine article defined my knowledge of the world beyond those island shores. I began writing to photo libraries, requesting copies of their travel image catalogs. Before the internet, stock image archives were listed in thick books that would land on the doormat with a resounding thump. Catalogs contained thousands of thumbnail photos, each a tiny window into a world of snow-capped mountains, wide savannahs, lush jungles, and towering skyscrapers. Those catalogs became my main source of inspiration. The more I saw, the more I yearned to explore colorful markets, hike to remote temples, and whizz through unfamiliar streets in the back of a speeding tuk-tuk.
I figured that travel and photography could go hand-in-hand and asked for a Kodak Instamatic camera for my birthday, even before I had the opportunity to travel beyond my hometown.
Photography is such a satisfyingly immediate way of recording experiences, and it’s also been the key to opening many doors, prompting me to explore beyond the obvious and most easily accessible destinations.
I left the island at 17, moved to London, and began to work on simple, personal projects. I photographed local festivals, spent weekends hiking in National Parks, and learned how to emulate the style and compositions of the stock photos that had inspired me. I was learning by trial and error, quite unsure whether I could turn my dream into a reality. I was greatly encouraged when my first published photo appeared on the cover of a local community magazine, and calculated that if one editor was willing to publish my work, it was worth trying to find more.
That was more than 20 years ago. Since then, I have traveled to every continent, lived in Thailand, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland, and taught photography workshops in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, and beyond. My work has been published internationally countless times.
Much has changed in the past two decades, but I still feel the same excitement at traveling with a camera as I did when those thick, glossy, stock photo catalogs first inspired me.
Question 2: Looking back at all these years, are there some things you wish you knew when you started so that your journey as a travel photographer that could have been easier?
Answer: Inevitably, I’ve learned many things that might have saved time and money but learning important lessons has been an essential part of the journey, so I wouldn’t wish to change anything.
Having said that, I wish I’d done more research when I got my first digital camera. I didn’t fully appreciate the benefits of shooting RAW files back then. I spent one week shooting black and white JPEGs in a remote Nepalese village. The photos are fine, but I regret losing all that color information. It remains a valuable lesson in fully understanding new technology before using it.
A useful piece of advice for freelancers, which I think I instinctively understood, and which Neil Gaiman summarised beautifully in a 2012 Commencement Speech, is that freelancers will keep getting hired if:
- Their work is good
- They’re easy to get along with
- They deliver on time
And, as Gaiman suggests, it’s not always essential to tick all three boxes, two can be sufficient – although I believe it’s best to aim squarely for all three whenever possible!
Question 3: What advice could you give photographers who, like you, want their photos to have an impact?
Answer:
- Study the work of photographers whose work you admire.
- Ask yourself, what focal length would this photographer have used to create this image? What aperture and shutter speed? Where is the light source? What time of day was this made? Try to understand the thought processes that might have led to a photo being made in a specific way. Ask yourself how different choices would have produced a different result.
- Know your equipment so well that you can change settings with your eyes closed. Being able to react quickly to changing light and fast-moving scenes demands an intimate familiarity with all those buttons and dials.
- Don’t “Chimp”. I turn off the auto-review setting on my cameras. If I’m looking at the LCD screen, I’ve lost the connection with the scene or person I photograph. The photo is made, I can review it later. There’s little to be gained from constantly shifting attention away from my subject, and much can be lost.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that it takes 10,000 hours to become good at something provides a reasonable guide. How does that translate to photography? I’d say that a photographer’s first 100,000 images will likely be their least competent and least consistent. So treat photography like learning a musical instrument and practice every day
Question 4: What equipment is a must-have for you as a travel photographer no matter where you work?
Answer: Ignoring the obvious cameras, lenses, batteries, memory cards, laptops, and backup drives, there are some non-photographic essentials that I always carry.
- Buff – A “multifunctional, tubular snood,” which can be transformed into a hat, neck scarf, ski mask, an impromptu bag-carrying handle, lens cloth, and more. I have a growing collection that has been put to various uses, including anti-leech protection on more than one occasion.
- Head Torch and Noctilight – My Petzl torch is always in my bag. Essential when I find myself, as I frequently do, in the darker corners of a market or a dusty temple. The Noctilight allows the torch to be hung inside a tent or from the ceiling of a hotel room or sleeper train carriage.
- Photoshelter – Not a physical item as such, but invaluable nonetheless. My Photoshelter account allows me to keep high-resolution image files online, readily available for clients to download. Wherever I am, I can license an image, enable a download and produce an invoice. For a roving freelancer, that’s gold dust. I once licensed a series of images to an editor whilst rowing across Lake Titicaca, and it was no more hassle than if I’d been sitting in my office at home.
- Calibrate (formerly X-Rite) ColorChecker Passport – Color fidelity is really important in my work. My workflow is carefully calibrated from start to finish, from camera to computer monitor and printer. The ColorChecker passport is pocket-sized and allows me to create an accurate color profile for each individual camera body and for all lighting situations. No more guessing for accurate White Balance!
NB – I have a commercial relationship with Photoshelter and X-Rite but not with Buff or Petzl — although if they’d like to get in touch…
Question 5: Cameras and gear are subject to a certain risk when being a travel photographer, and carrying them can be cumbersome. Any advice on how to keep your equipment safe and how to carry it more conveniently when traveling?
Answer: I’d estimate that searching for the perfect camera bag attracts more head-scratching and online forum discussions than any other photography topic. It’s the Holy Grail for photographers!
For me, good weight distribution is an important consideration. I used to favor bags that could be slung over one shoulder, but my chiropractic bills have led me to regret that choice.
I love F-Stop Mountain Series bags for longer trips, especially long-distance hikes. For day trips and in urban environments, I like ThinkTank bags . Both companies produce hard-wearing gear designed by working photographers who know what’s required.
I never check camera gear when flying, it’s always in my carry-on luggage. That usually means wearing spacious pockets large enough to hold bulky lenses.
Ultimately, camera gear is bulky and cumbersome but much less so now than it was 20 or even ten years ago. I don’t suppose it will be long before camera phones can produce results that make big cameras virtually redundant. At this point, we’ll no longer have to worry about luggage limits.
Question 6: What details do you believe make the best photographs? How do you go about focusing on them in your work as an editorial, humanitarian and travel photographer?
Answer: I’ve learned that I make the best images when my attention is given fully to a subject. Whether it’s a street portrait, a sunset, a street food stall, or any other scene, it’s only when I’m giving 100% concentration that I’ll notice subtle shifts in light or catch a momentary shift in a person’s expression. That’s also when photography is, for me, at its most enjoyable. There’s something about that zen-like state of flow, where all our energy and attention is directed towards a subject. That’s when photography can become quite meditative. I think that most photographers will be familiar with that sensation.
I’ve learned that if I want to produce work I’m proud of, that level of attentiveness is essential. So I try not to leave it to chance. If I’m feeling tired or uninspired and begin to sense that I’m only going through the motions, I’ll take a moment to reset my thinking and remind myself why I’m there and what I’m hoping to achieve. Hopefully, that’s enough to shift my concentration up a gear or two.
As for specific details, what’s important varies with each assignment and each location. The ingredients that bring a story to life will become apparent with time, patience, and the commitment to being fully attentive.
Question 7: Your photos convey some incredible stories. Please tell us a bit about your favorite photos and the events that occurred when they were taken.
Answer: I’m really spoiled for choice, so I’ll tell you about the last three images that I licensed for publication as they’re most fresh in my mind.
(I) Tibetan Monk, Wangdichholing Dzong, Dakar, Bhutan
Canon EOS 1-DS II, 50mm, 1/25, f/2.8, ISO400
The only light shone through a solitary open window in an ancient temple in a remote part of Bhutan. I love that kind of natural light and will go to great lengths to seek it out. I rarely use artificial light and rarely carry a strobe/flash. I much prefer photographing what’s there rather than creating a fictionalized version that might as well have been staged in a studio.
A novice monk came into the temple room where I was sitting. He nodded a silent acknowledgment, unwrapped a pile of prayer texts, selected one, pulled his saffron robe around him, and seated himself on the floor, directly in the pool of daylight. My camera was set up to spot meters from the highlights so the background would fade into shadow. All I had to do was frame, focus, and click.
Regarding metering and dynamic range, I’m always curious why camera manufacturers believe photographers want more dynamic range. I don’t want my images to look like HDR composites. I don’t want a more dynamic range. I want less. But I doubt we’ll see that advertised as a selling point any time soon.
(II) Indigo Dyer’s Hands, Sakhon Nakhon, Thailand
Canon EOS 5D III, 85mm, 1/400, f/1.2, ISO100
I’ve learned many things that might never have come to my attention without photography. One assignment took me to northern Thailand as a travel photographer to document the lives of a family who grow and harvest indigo for dyeing cloth with traditional methods. Harvesting takes place before sunset, indigo leaves are soaked in rainwater for 24 hours before being blended with tamarind, the ashes of banana roots, and coconut husks to produce the deep blue indigo color.
Watching the family go through each step of the process was fascinating and the hours passed swiftly. I was conscious that I wanted to document each step comprehensively and was making good process but I also knew that I needed to provide my editor with what I call a Signature Image — one photo that could be used on the front cover, with space for text and which would encapsulate the story.
Gypsy, the grandson of the head of the family, picked up a bundle of yarn with indigo-stained hands and there was my cover shot. We stepped out of the dyeing shed into the daylight, I framed a few different compositions and felt confident the image would work. It ran on the front cover and has been published many times since. It’s a good example of why having a Shot List can be invaluable, prompting me to produce variations that might otherwise pass unseen and undocumented.
(III) Nomad Girl with Milk Pail, Mongolia
Canon EOS 5D III, 18mm, 1/3200, f/2.8, ISO100
Delgr Tuya was six years old when I stayed with her family in their Mongolian Ger for an assignment documenting nomadic lives as a travel photographer. Delgr’s family were the most generous and hospitable, willing to share their limited resources without expecting anything in return. I have often found that those who have the least are willing to share the most. I still have a treasured audio recording of the family trying to teach me traditional Mongolian folk songs on my final night in their smoky Ger. I have a hazy recollection of being introduced to a significant quantity of homemade vodka.
My appreciation of how little material possessions contribute to happiness quickly accelerated on that assignment. In return, I provided the family with plenty of amusing anecdotes. I’m sure they still laugh about when a western photographer came to stay. On arrival, having been shown around the large but very open Ger tent it was indicated that I would sleep on the floor alongside the entire family, I nervously asked, “Thank you and… err… where is the toilet?”
Grandfather Batchka looked confused before throwing his head back in a fulsome, hearty, roaring laugh. He spread his arms wide, indicating the miles and miles of empty steppe stretching to a far horizon in every direction. I didn’t need a translation to understand that a western-style loo was a luxury I wouldn’t need for my stay.
Question 8: What about being a photographer do you consider to be the most rewarding?
Answer: When I started working commercially many years ago, I attended a meeting of experienced freelance photographers and asked them a similar question. This is what one of those experienced pros told me.
“Well, Gavin, I was very enthusiastic when I started, but it was tough for the first two years. That’s not to say I didn’t sell anything. I did. I sold my car; I sold my TV; I sold my furniture….”
There are some commercial photography jobs that can be financially rewarding. Advertising, fashion, etc. Travel photography is not one of them.
Fortunately, I’ve been able to survive financially, and whilst it might seem glib or cliched to say this, I count the experiences, the sights, the memories, the adventures, and the friendships as being truly valuable. Those are the most enriching parts of my work.
Question 9: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time when you aren’t busy with your photography projects?
Answer: I don’t think about “spare time” as such. I’ve worked hard to be fortunate not to worry about a work/life balance because my work as a travel photographer is such an enjoyable and rewarding part of my life. When I unpack from an assignment and put my camera away, if I ask myself what I would most like to do next, the answer is always, “pack a bag, grab a camera, and go.”
If I don’t have a camera, I’ll try to have the book. I’ve found so many interesting leads from reading about unfamiliar locations. I’d recommend reading travel literature as an enjoyable distraction during downtime. One photography book I regularly recommend as essential reading is William Albert Allard’s wonderfully inspiring Five Decades retrospective. I was fortunate to run a photo workshop with William Allard in Thailand recently. He’s a born storyteller, fascinated by the places he visits and the people he meets. I love his work and his approach to his craft. If readers only take one piece of advice from this interview, they should read Five Decades!
I’ll also rewatch documentaries, like Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, which provides a great example of how to travel with a mind fully open to new experiences.
Podcasts are a great resource too. There are so many fascinating ones that it’s a full-time job keeping up. Several BBC podcasts provide great examples of first-class storytelling. My favorites include Desert Island Discs, Short Cuts, Life Changing, Excess Baggage, From Our Own Correspondent, and The Infinite Monkey Cage. My playlist includes The Rest is Politics and several travel-related shows: JRNY, The Travel Diaries with Holly Rubenstein, World Nomads…
Question 10: What are your plans for the upcoming months? Have you got any events or projects scheduled?
Answer: My wife and I have recently moved to Switzerland. We’ve just reached the point where we’ve found a comfortable apartment in the heart of Geneva, we’ve unpacked and are starting to get our bearings. We’re looking forward to exploring Switzerland in the Spring, and I have a long list of “Must See” places to visit. That will provide an opportunity to create new stock images as a travel photographer and pitch new stories to editors.
I haven’t run any photo workshops since Covid put them on hold, but now things are settling down, I’m planning workshops in Asia and Europe. I’m receiving more and more encouraging messages from photographers who’ve attended previous workshops saying they’re keen to explore again.
Back in the office, I’m working on a new digital Kodachrome emulation pack for Photoshop and Lightroom, which has had a gestation period to rival an elephant’s. I loved working with Kodachrome film and, like many photographers of a certain vintage, miss those evocative Kodachrome colors and tones. My current Kodachrome emulation has been enormously popular, so I look forward to publishing a new and slightly improved version.
Readers who might like to hear about future projects, Kodachrome presets, etc., can subscribe to his newsletter.
For more information about Gavin Gough’s photography and insight, do visit his website, Twitter and Instagram!
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